Midnight in Matsuyama
by Destinies Entwined
Summary: Nearly three years after the events of season 2, Kanami drags Misaki away from work to celebrate turning 30. Kanami whisks her away on a trip to Matsuyama-Shi, and Misaki gets far more than she bargained for. Emotional, Heady and HOT! Cover Art: "Surprise Visit" by Dear4life!
1. The Get Away

Midnight in Matsuyama:

Chapter 1: The Get Away

Mid-summer in Tokyo brought on a heat wave like no other. The air was thick and one could see the extreme temperature distorting the air as it rose from the pavement. Misaki Kirihara was sitting in her home office pouring over information on her latest case, thankful to be in the air-conditioning instead of out on the streets. She had continued working with Kobayashi and Madame Oreille, and the organization previously referred to as Section 3, now dubbed the "The Syndicate" for the last three years. Although the name made them sound like they were related to the old regime, they had given up trying to dispel the myth. Misaki's brow furrowed at all the bits of information and codes before her that she worked hard to decipher, staring at the monitor intently. Suddenly her personal cell phone rang, breaking her concentration. She looked down at the name on the Caller ID and sighed to herself. _What does Kanami want in the middle of the day? She knows I'm working._ Reluctantly the former police chief answered the phone, "Kirihara desu."

"Misaki! Have you made any plans for my birthday, yet?"

_Kuso! That's right! She's going to be turning thirty in only two weeks! Some best friend I am._ Misaki panicked inwardly as she stumbled for an excuse for forgetting Kanami's birthday. "I, uh, no…Gomen nasai, Kanami," she sighed. "I've been neck-deep with work that I hadn't even started planning."

Kanami laughed, "Well, good! Because I am running as far away from a thirtieth birthday party as I can-"

"Nani? Matte!" the detective gasped.

"—and you're coming with me!" Kanami finished her statement, baffling her best friend.

Misaki was quiet for a second trying to figure out what that meant. "…eh?"

"Well, you'regonna be thirty at the end of the year, so why not run off and party like we're 29 forever?"

"You're insane, Kanami. But what did you have in mind?"

"Well, you're not going to believe this, but I was listening to the radio during breakfast and they were giving away a 'get-away-for-two' to the Matsuyama Summer Festival…with all-expense-paid stay at the Dogo Onsen Resort. So just for fun, I called."

"You didn't-"

"I_ did!_ I _won_! So, since we're two _sexy_ single women, let's go paint the town red in Matsuyama-shi! How about it, Misaki?"

Misaki cringed. She wanted to say no, out of obligation to her organization. She had entirely too much on her plate. But it _was _two weeks away. She could very well wrap up some of it by then…and it _did _sound like fun. Besides, she didn't dare tell her best friend 'no' on her birthday. "Kanami…you _know_ I really shouldn't be leaving the city right now with my hands full," Misaki began, "_Demo…"_

"Demo ka?" Kanami urged her friend to spit it out.

"I'll go. I owe it to both you and myself to go. I'll talk to Ko—uh, my associates. There are people who, if I am not done with this case in two weeks, can probably get it finished."

Kanami pumped her fist on her end of the phone with a "Yushhhh!" It sounded rather like an excited affirmative in English. Misaki just shook her head with a knowing smile on her face at her friend's enthusiasm.

"Misaki, I'll be at your place tomorrow morning at ten. Be ready."

"Eh...Kanami? Why tomorrow morning? I thought the trip is two weeks away," Misaki questioned her eager friend.

"Kaimono! What else? Mataashita, Misaki-chan!" And with that there was a click and the call ended.

Misaki buried her face in her hands and groaned, "Why is everything '_shopping'_ with her?" She exhaled her little bit of frustration and tried to imagine relaxing in a hot spring. She smiled dreamily to herself as she pictured herself lying on Futami beach, the warm sand and the smell of the ocean. _Matsuyama City, eh? Never been there, but I've heard it's amazing. Guess I'll find out soon enough!_ With a heavy sigh she looked back up to the information-cluttered desk and monitor, and her brow furrowed once again as she returned to her work.

O.o ^_^ o.O ^_^ O.o ^_^ o.O

Later that evening, she stepped outside, sipping on a glass of plum wine. The air was still very warm, but the night seemed to bring some relief from the torturous day. The sky was so incredibly clear. She looked up into the night sky at the stars. It had been so long since she had dwelled on him. _BK Ni Maru Ichi. Has your heart been broken by loss one too many times? Have you laid down your mask for good? _She sighed as a tear fell from her eye, "Li-kun…" She looked down at her glass, and put her nose to it, inhaling the sweet aroma, closing her eyes to take it in and envisioned his face, with a piece of rice stuck to it after stuffing his face. "You're the only one I know who can rack up a dinner bill bigger than mine," she said softly to herself with a chuckle. Then there was a flash in her mind that shifted to the last time she saw him. He was ready to kill her, he was so angry. She frowned, feeling a wave of guilt wash over her as she recalled his burning question. _"What are you doing in Section 3?" Poor Li, he must have thought I betrayed him. In his mind I had become an enemy, and when I think about how angry he was with me…damn…I was only trying to help. _Misaki mentally slapped herself once again for pulling her gun on him and sighed. _If fate ever brings us together again, I owe you an explanation, and an apology, Li-kun._ With one last look on his brilliant star, she took a sip of her wine and headed back inside. She slugged down the last bit of her wine and headed to bed, trying to shake herself of the one person she'd tried so hard to put out of her mind for good.

O.o ^_^ o.O ^_^ O.o ^_^ o.O

Two weeks later, Misaki was on a plane out of Tokyo to Matsuyama. It was a quick trip, a mere hour or so in the air. And they found themselves stepping out into glorious sunshine and a light off-shore breeze that carried the scent of the ocean. They hailed a taxi and sped off to their hot-springs resort. As they stepped out of the taxi, the ladies took in their surroundings: The old architecture, the beautiful foliage and the beach off in the distance. "Oh Misaki! This town is beautiful!" Kanami exclaimed; her eyes alight. The driver handed them their belongings and took off. The duo entered the resort lobby, their luggage in tow. "I read that this is one of the, if not _the,_ oldest hot spring resorts in the country, dating back one thousand years," Misaki informed her awestruck best friend.

"Irasshaimase, ladies, to Funaya Ryokan! You are correct, indeed! Dogo Onsen is on of the oldest established hot spring destination in our beautiful country. Princes, poets, the Imperial families, Feudal lords and their friends and companions came here to refresh and relax over the years," he said with a smile. He adjusted the glasses on his face before grabbing the handles of their suitcases. "Here, let me get these ready to take to your room. Please see Miss Tanaka at the front desk about your reservations."

After retrieving their information and key, Kanami and Misaki followed the bell-hop to their suite. The ryokan had hot spring baths itself, but the Ancient Dogo Onsen, the Kami no Yu, was right around the corner from their hotel. They arrived at the suite and the young man brought their bags into their suite for them, as he advised, "Get your relaxation in now while the place is fairly quiet. In couple days the crowd will come for this weekend's festival. This city will be high-energy come Thursday night! If you need any more information, just ask me or anyone at the front desk!"

Kanami smiled, "Thanks, um…what is your name?"

"Michio desu," he blushed a little.

"Michio, we will be sure to call on you."

He blushed even more and bowed as he exited the room. Misaki's eyes followed him out the door with a smirk. She and Kanami just looked at each other and burst into laughter.

"How adorable was he?" Kanami laughed, "I mean he totally kept eyeing us and blushing. I guess we still got it, if we can make teenagers squirm!"

Misaki clutched her stomach she was still laughing so hard at the look on his face when Kanami said they'd be calling on him. As they calmed themselves, they settled in and dug through their luggage. "What do you want to do first, Misaki?"

Misaki couldn't shake the beach from her mind, "Well I've heard some great things about Futami beach, and the photo's I've seen are beautiful…but let's save it for tomorrow. I'd just love to slip into the hot spring for now."

"You know what? That sounds like a fantastic idea."

Misaki's eyes widen at Kanami, feigning shock, "What no shopping?"

"Huh? You really want to go?" Kanami almost took her seriously.

"Iie…" Misaki rolled her eyes.

Misaki and Kanami put their robes on and made their way down to the baths. They opened the huge doors to the outdoor women's bath and discovered they had it to themselves. They let their robes fall to the floor as they slipped their way into the hot, inviting water. The sound of their sighs reverberated through the vacant bath house. Then they sat in a peaceful silence for a few minutes, letting refreshment seep into their bodies. Kanami broke the silence. "Do you know who that bell boy kinda reminded me of?"

"Who?" Misaki peered at Kanami through heavy-lidded eyes.

"You're friends from back in the police days…That Chinese guy…Bra Boy…Li, was that his name?"

"N-nani?" she faltered, "Why do you say that?"

"Because he was so awkward, and smiley and blushed a lot. Li was adorable in the same way. I wonder what happened to him…do you know?"

Misaki's heart raced. _That's right…she doesn't know…_She took a deep breath and sighed a little, contemplating Kanami's observation, and thought of him attempting to hit a baseball. "Yeah…you're right Li was adorable like that. You know, Kanami, I'm sorry I never told you, but Li and I sort of had a…_date…_one night, just before the whole destruction of the Hell's Gate wall, and the fall of the syndicate."

"Wait…_WHAT? _ And you never told me?"

"W-well, I never saw him again after that. Li disappeared. I heard from his landlady that he got sent back to China because his Student Visa ran out," Misaki lied well for the first time in her life, feeling safe that there was an element of truth in that lie, and it protected Li, wherever he may be.

"Aw, what awful luck you have! All the guys you like either run away or get taken away, Kanami said with a hint of compassion mixed with a heaping of sarcasm. "So what did you guys do on your date? Did you kiss him at least?"

"W-well…I ran into him while I was out one afternoon, and we ended up grabbing a bite to eat at that nice hibachi place in Shinjuku. Let me tell you, Kanami, I finally found someone who makes my eating habit look like a bird's. I don't where that guy put all that food, he was so slim!" Misaki laughed at the mental picture of all their bowls and plates stacked together, it looked like 20 people had sat at a table for two.

Kanami snorted at her, "_Really_! I dare not ask how much that meal cost the two of you then, because I know you eat for about five people. So he didn't have a girlfriend after all?"

Misaki blushed, "N-no, I never got that impression. Actually we had some really good conversation, and somehow it was like he understood me on a certain level. Anyway, we ended up going to the batting cages after that. I had had a stressful day and thought it'd be fun and I could whack away my stress. Poor guy could barely swing a bat, he was so bad!" Misaki suddenly smirked to herself. _But somehow he managed to be amazing with grappling wires, wielded double-bladed knives, and was a ridiculous fighter…good acting skills, Li-kun, good acting skills. You had me fooled._

"Okay, but did you _kiss_ him?"

"No, after that we just sat and watched the stars together, just talking. He seemed so sad underneath his smiling exterior, when he relaxed he was a bit somber, like that river flowed a lot deeper than he let on." _Kami, does he run deeper than he let's on._

"So you didn't even have a kiss to remember him by before had to leave? Lame!" Kanami huffed a little before examining the thoughtful look on Misaki's face, "You liked him didn't you?"

"H-hai…I did. It hurt me to know he was gone and I'd never get to see him again."

"Is that you focused so hard on chasing BK Ni Maru Ichi after that? I mean you were _obsessed _for a while, there with that guy. I understand infatuations with the bad boys. I watch enough movies and TV to know what that's all about, but that was bad."

Misaki nodded, "But you would have too, if a noted killer and powerful contractor had saved you on more than one occasion. Wouldn't it make you feel just a _little_ special? As if he…_cared…_if that were possible?"

Kanami was astonished at how open Misaki was being about her feelings for Li and her infatuation with BK201. Before she went to reply she considered her friend's words. _BK201 was a knight in shining armor, in a dark and twisted sort of way._

"You know, Misaki, I'm glad you've let that all go. You're a good person with a big heart. I mean, some people think you're crazy for caring about contractors' rights and such. Who ever you meet in the future, as long as they love you for who you are and treat you right, I'll be behind you one hundred percent."

"Arigato, Kanami," Misaki held back tears that began to well in her eyes with a sigh, and sank into the water up to her neck and exhaled into the water.

After another minute or two, Misaki noticed a smile creep across Kanami's face. Misaki just eyed her with a raised brow. "Nani-yo, Kanami?"

"We're two attractive single women, here for 6 nights. You better believe we're going out _guy_ hunting!"

Misaki slapped her palm to her forehead with a groan. "I think I'd rather go shopping!"


	2. Rays, Racks & Ramen

**I wanted to begin by telling you all about Friday night, and my bizarre moment of eerie coincidence. I was writing the scene when Misaki is out on the balcony. And when I finished that scene, I went outside to smoke (it was about 11pm.) I did not realize there was a new moon that night. So I go outside and I'm looking up at the night sky to find that there is no moon whatsoever. My eyes quickly scanned the heavens for the brightest star****. I couldn't help but smile to myself. I pondered how I was going to open the next scene. When I was done with my bad habit, I took one last look at the sky to witness...a falling star. Seriously. I exclaimed aloud to no one, "WTF?" and just laughed, and went back inside to finish chapter one. So here is Chapter 2, started yesterday, finished today. I will be starting Chapter 3 after this is posted, as I have so many ideas that are swirling around in my head. They want OUT. Please leave me some love letters if you enjoyed it! **

**PS: Glossary of Japanese Terms at the end...check it out. You might learn something cool.**

Chapter 2: Rays, Racks & Ramen

The next morning was just as beautiful as the previous one. Misaki stretched and could feel the difference that two sessions in the springs had made on her once stiff muscles. The girls put their robes on as there was a knock at their door. "Room Service!"

Kanami opened the door to Michio holding trays for breakfast. Her robe fell off her shoulder, exposing her skin, causing the bellhop to blush profusely. "I-I…" he stammered, trying to collect himself, "…have your complimentary breakfast!" He practically shoved the trays out towards her. Kanami opened the door the rest of the way, allowing him to come in and set the trays down on their table.

Misaki smiled at him as he bowed, "Ohi, Michio-kun, what's the best way to get down to Futami Beach?"

He cleared his throat, "I would definitely take the streetcars. There's a stop right out side, and they do a loop down and around through town, right by Futami Beach. They're a little slower than the buses or taxis, but it's more fun than walking and you can do a little sight-seeing while you're at it."

Kanami, who was still standing near him, decided that messing with the poor kid, who was obviously ten years younger than them, would be fun. She rested her hand on his shoulder and gave him a flirtatious smile, "Thank you so much, Michio-kun. Care to join us?"

Michio's jaw went a little slack as his face turned crimson, "A-arigato, demo… d-dekimasen!" He bowed stiffly and practically fell over himself as he hurried out the door. Kanami laughed like a banshee. She was having entirely too much fun with making him squirm.

"Kanami!" Misaki reprimanded her friend, a smile attempting to invade the incredulous and horrified look on her face. "That is enough! Leave that poor kid alone!"

They both made their way to the table and sat in front of the food. "Itadakimasu!" They proclaimed in stereo as they began to shove breakfast in their faces. After having their fill, the duo prepared themselves for a day of sun, shopping and self-indulgence. Both wore wide brimmed beach hats, sunglasses (prescription in Misaki's case), and sundresses over their bikinis with cute flat sandals. They carried large woven bags that doubled as both beach bags and purses, with all the essentials for the afternoon. As they exited the hotel they passed Michio once more who saw them out of the corner of his eye. Kanami nudged Misaki and smiled at him with a little wave of the hand, "Ja Ne!" Misaki just shook her head in disbelief at her, "You're awful, you know that?" Kanami just snickered, "Ah come on! I'm just having some fun."

Once outside, Kanami lit up a cigarette while they waited for the trolley. Fortunately for Misaki, she was down wind. They hopped on the streetcar as it pulled up in front of the hotel. It wove its way through town, and Kanami outwardly noted a few shops she was interested in checking out at some point during their stay. Misaki just admired how the city was a balanced blend of old meets new and how quaint it was compared to most of Tokyo. _I wouldn't mind living here at all…This place has everything. It has such a friendly and relaxed feel compared to the craziness of the big city. Hmm, retirement, maybe? _Kanami snapped her from her daydream with an elbow to her ribs, "Hey! There's the beach! We're almost there!" Misaki look in the direction the trolley was heading down the hill, to see a beautiful sprawl of shoreline, with a smattering of early bird beachgoers. She smiled to herself as her daydream about lying on the beach was about to come true.

They arrived at the beach, which was situated across from a line of large modern hotels and a string of more shops and food stands. They removed their sandals as they stepped onto the sand. Misaki curled her toes into the warm golden grains as she tried to remember the last time she felt sand between her toes. They settled themselves between the beach volleyball net, which Kanami openly hoped would eventually be occupied by some eye candy, and a little cabana that sold cold beverages. Kanami wore a cute pink bikini with a white scrolling pattern throughout. It was strapless with a high-cut bottom. She put her hair up in a ponytail to keep from getting sunscreen in it. Misaki was a little more modest and wore a halter top turquoise two-piece with little silver stars all over; her bottoms were a modest boy-short. Misaki followed suit in putting her now incredibly long chestnut hair up in a messy bun of sorts, to tan her back evenly.

The sun was strong, and the morning air was still cool enough that the breeze offered relief from the already toasty rays. After an hour or so, Misaki dragged Kanami away from people watching, or as she assumed, guy watching, to go for a swim to cool off.

Misaki felt the cool relief splashing around her ankles as waves gently rumbled against the sand, as if grabbing at her feet, beckoning her into the blue-green waters. She didn't hesitate to undo her hair and take a few large strides before diving right in, leaving Kanami to shiver in the water up to her knees. As soon as she surfaced, about seven meters away, she turned to her friend and called her out, "Come on, scaredy cat! The water's fine once you get in!" Kanami baby stepped her way in far enough that she had to jump to keep waves from splashing in her face. Misaki swam back over to her. They tread water and swam through the waves for a little while before Kanami wimped out and headed back toward dry land. "And you tell _me_ that I'm no fun!" Misaki grimaced. With a sigh she followed suit and headed back to their blanket.

After another solid two hours of roasting in the sun, Kanami and Misaki packed up their things, put their dresses over their now dry swimsuits and grabbed some sodas from the nearby cabana. Misaki's stomach rumbled a little. "I need a snack to get me through shopping," she told Kanami. As they left the beach, they passed a stand selling meat buns, and stopped to grab a couple. After quickly stuffing them down her throat, Misaki was ready to endure what she assumed would be a test of her patience.

Misaki found herself actually enjoying the leisurely feel of their browsing. Usually shopping in Tokyo meant rushing from store to store in the mall, trying everything on, and feeling hectic. There was no time crunch. They weren't at the mall, which Matsuyama did have, but which she begged Kanami to avoid in lieu of going to the local shops. "It's better for business," she had said to convince her shopaholic friend.

They had entered a local silversmith's jewelry shop. Kanami ogled all the beautiful and delicate handmade pieces that dangled from dainty chains. Misaki kept one hand protectively attached to her bag, the other rested by her side as she leaned over glass cases, admiring the artisan's work. She stopped short as she came across a few pendants that were all similar, save the stone that was in them. The pendant was shaped like a bright shining star, with four larger points, like a compass, with smaller silver rays radiating from the middle. In the center of each star pendant was a stone of each a different color. There were six pendants altogether, zircon, ruby, topaz, aquamarine, sapphire and onyx. She just stared at the black and blue ones, sitting side by side. She fought with herself over merely _considering_ buying one of them, just because she knew why it caught her eye.

_I'm crazy for even letting myself think about buying one! It'll just be a constant reminder, Misaki! I've kept myself from obsessing for so long now. Why am I letting myself dwell so much on him lately? Why would I even want a painful reminder to wear everyday? _She sighed softly to herself, as the answers to her own questions seem to come so easily. _Because…it reminds me why I fight for what I do. It reminds me that there is someone else who believes in what I believe, and somewhere is following the same path as I do…and if he can do it, so can I._

Kanami had heard Misaki's sigh and looked up to see her melancholy stare fixed on something in the case. "What ever it is, Misaki, _Katte_."

"Demo…"

"No buts! Buy it!" she commanded her frugal friend as she walked over to see what she was considering and she paused. "Misaki…why would you…?"

"For inspiration."

"Not because you're letting yourself obsess again, right?"

"Hai." Misaki stared that the two pendants. _Now, do I get onyx because he's the Black Reaper and his codename Hei, means "black"? Or do I get the sapphire, like the color of his eyes that are burned into my mind?_

The shopkeeper came over to them, "Can I help you with something?"

She pointed at the case, "I'll take the sapphire star, please."

They exited the shop and Misaki stopped and put her bag down to extract the dainty necklace from the box, putting it on and securing the clasp at the back of her neck. Kanami just watched her as she did so, wondering aloud, "So why didn't you get the onyx one? He _is_ the Black Reaper."

Misaki was taken aback by her intuited question, and didn't want to answer that truthfully, as that would give Li, or Hei rather, away. Quick thinking gave her an easy answer.

"You know blue's my favorite color," she replied grabbing at her light blue sundress with a delicate white paisley pattern. "Besides…black is just too obvious."

Kanami shrugged off her friend's response as they continued down the sidewalk, exploring what the city had to offer. Numerous shops, six large, colorful bags and thousands of yen later, Misaki helped Kanami with her load of merchandise. As they were leaving a shoe store with yet another bag in hand, Misaki's stomach growled loudly. So loudly, in fact, that it caught the glances of the people walking by and a girl walking into the store. Misaki blushed as she said, "Can we stop somewhere to eat? I'm starving!"

Kanami gestured to the little ramen stand down the block, across the street, "You ok with some noodles real quick? There's another couple places I want to hit up before heading back up to Dogo Onsen."

Misaki nodded, "Anything, as long as it's food." Her stomach growled once again.

They made their way across the street in a lull in the traffic. As they approached the ramen stand, they could smell the various vegetables and meats in the ramen. Misaki inhaled deeply as her mouth began to water. The cook busily boiled his noodles, cut vegetables, sautéed and tossed in a very quick and methodical way. Misaki was looked down at her phone to check the time when Kanami's elbow met her ribs, she looked up to scold her friend for the jab, when the cook had turned around to serve the hungry customer who sat next to them. Misaki's heart stopped and gasped softly at the face before her.

O.o ^_^ o.O ^_^ O.o ^_^ o.O

Hei busied himself as usual, just to keep out of his head. Business had been non-stop all day and was finally slowing down as the afternoon had sped by. Ever since Yin's death, he headed south, stopping briefly in random towns along the way, trying to get as far from Tokyo as possible. He liked Japan, and thought it was a beautiful country and didn't really want to leave it. So he ended up on Shikoku, heading toward the Inland Sea that separated him from his homeland. Matsuyama-shi reminded him in some ways of home. It was warm and inviting. And nobody knew him there. He could have a chance at living a peaceful life in this seaside town. He exhaled as he grabbed leeks and began chopping away, tossing a handful eventually in the boiling noodles. A few minutes went by as he prepared yet another bowl. Hei had decided that running a ramen stand, once again taking on his old persona "Li Shengshun", would be a good move for so many reasons. _Good for my wallet, good for my appetite with all that free food, and good for my sanity to keep busy, _he had reasoned to himself over two years ago.

After losing so many people he cared about, he needed to not be the Black Reaper anymore. Yin's death had been the last straw. He had had enough death for one lifetime. He had decided that the moment he walked away from Hell's Gate with Yin's lifeless body in his arms. Hei shook his head to shake himself of his train of thought as he put the finishing touches on the bowl of noodles. He turned to hand the hearty bowl to the gentleman, noting new customers out of his peripheral vision. Then there came an all-too-familiar voice.

"Li-kun…?"

Hei froze as he looked at the two women sitting before him, his jaw went slack. _Kuso! What the hell is she doing here? Is she still hunting me? Is this merely coincidence?_

"Kirihara-san…w-what are _you _doing here?"

O.o ^_^ o.O ^_^ O.o ^_^ o.O

Kanami just glanced back and forth like her eyes were watching ping-pong, waiting for one of the two bewildered faces to say something. She could have cut the tension with a knife. Misaki's heart raced, she didn't know what to say or how to say it. Suddenly overwhelmed by everything she had felt and never said a tear slid down her cheek as she held her breath. _Oh no! What the hell is wrong with me? Say something Misaki!_

Part of Hei wanted to run, but then he saw…_a tear? _With that he relaxed his shoulders and exhaled. "I-I'm sorry, that was rude of me," he said coming off to Misaki somewhere between Hei and "Li". "I'm just, well…really shocked to see you here."

"L-likewise. We're on vacation, Kanami and I." Misaki couldn't break her gaze, those deep blue eyes that she never thought she'd see again…Until Kanami chimed in. "Yeah! I totally won a trip from the radio station for a week here at the Dogo Onsen, and it's my birthday on Friday, so you better believe I dragged this workaholic with me!" Kanami put arm around Misaki's shoulder and jostled her around playfully, snapping her out of her daze.

"I-it's been a while, huh?" She said timidly, feeling unlike herself. His face softened to a somber half-smile, "Yeah…"

"Well, _that's_ an understatement!" Kanami interjected. "What over four years now since you lost your student visa and got sent back to China!"

Hei grimaced. _That must be what Misaki had told her had happened. That means…. She kept my identity a secret?_ "Hai, I got it back about a year later, and decided to come here instead," He lied through a smile.

"You broke her heart, you know, Li," shaking a finger at him, causing them both to blush. Misaki put her face in her hands, "Tomatte, Kanami! Please! Just _stop talking_!"

Hei laughed nervously and put on a "Li" face as he wondered, _"Broke her heart"?_ His thought was interrupted by a growl from Misaki's stomach. The gentleman, who had been slurping away quietly at his noodles, stopped and looked at her.

They all just laughed aloud to shake off the uneasiness of the moment. Hei looked at them and smirked, "I assume you came for something to eat."

"Hai, Li-kun, I'm starving!" Misaki said resting her hand on her flat tummy.

"You better get cooking, she'll eat you out of house and home!" Kanami said with a laugh. "She told me you're the only one she ever met who packs it away better than she can."

"This is true," Hei replied with a raise of the brow, "You definitely made a noble attempt to keep up with me." _…in so many ways…_

The man next to them got up upon finishing his meal, bowed as he thanked Li, praising his cooking skills, and quickly departed.

"So, what do you want with your noodles, ladies?" Li asked as he picked up his chef's knife.

"Everything!" chimed Misaki, flashing him a smile for the first time since their one evening together. "Give me the house special."

"I'll have the same," Kanami added, "as long as the House Special comes with _you_ on top!"

Li blushed, "Eh…?" Misaki was finally feeling more herself as she really wanted to let Kanami have it. But she just slapped her palm to her face in mortification.

Hei just watched the two of them quizzically. _How are these two friends? Misaki is such a straight arrow and this one…Kanami, did she say?...is her total opposite. I guess they balance each other out._ Hei shrugged to himself and turned to chop vegetables. He pondered Misaki's demeanor, and seeming lack of intention. _Has she put her hunt for BK201 aside? Who is she even working for now? There's no way she could have known I was here. But why is she being so stand-offish? She's a relentlessly tenacious woman. It's her silence that bothers me._ He threw handfuls of meats and vegetables in with the noodles and served up one bowl to Kanami and two to Misaki. Kanami laughed, "Li knows to make _you_ extra!" Misaki just stared at the both of them and blinked as they laughed at her expense. She raised a brow and looked at Li, "Who are you to laugh?" she retorted. "If I remember correctly, you ate over 20 platefuls to my 10 at the hibachi place." She laughed at him and his big appetite as he picked up a bowl and ate as well.

Hei's mind flashed back to that night. He remembered how relaxed he had felt with her that night. They had been very honest with each other for the level of secrecy they both had to uphold at the time. _Misaki's laugh…_ He was giving her the Black Reaper, right in front of her, and she just laughed at the rice stuck to his face. Little did he realize she'd put two and two together. He recalled faking being awful at swinging a bat. He wondered why he bothered to do that then, when everything else hadn't been as much of an act. Hei felt his face get warm as he realized they both could recall that evening vividly. He hid his face with the bowl as he slurped away at his food.

"So when do you shut down for the night, Li?" Kanami asked abruptly.

Hei stopped eating, swallowed and replied, "We're open around the clock during the summer, but the other chef relieves me at ten o'clock."

Misaki knew what question would follow. Kanami was going to try to play matchmaker with "Li". _Little does she know she's trying to hook me up with BK201 himself…not that I mind. It'll be an opportunity to talk with him. Knowing Kanami, she will end up leaving me alone with him. _

"_So ka_, you want to join us this evening?"

Hei fought with himself for a moment. _I should just say no. But I can tell this woman's persistent. If "Li" says no, after supposedly disappearing from Misaki's life…_Hei sighed._ Besides it will give me a chance to find out some information. _He could tell Misaki had something to say, but was holding back for the right time, probably as not to blow his cover. _But why protect me?_ There were too many burning questions. It was decided.

Misaki flinched, awaiting his answer, assuming he would say 'No' and give some excuse. But she knew that _he_ knew she wouldn't buy it, but probably let it go.

"Sure, I'd love to."

O.o ^_^ o.O ^_^ O.o ^_^ o.O

**I hope you are all enjoying this new story. I put down the epic Inuyasha Post-Manga fic for this. DTB has consumed my soul and I'm leaving my husband for Hei. LOL! **

**In this story, I wanted to purvey that now that Misaki is preoccupied with her new goals, the hunt for BK201 has come to a standstill, and that this is fine by her. All those feelings, from infatuation to concern, she had locked them away somewhere, and now she's terrified of the opportunity to say all those things she never said. Misaki is aggressive with her gun and quick and tenacious when it comes to justice and the ways of society. But as for matters of the heart, where she is inexperienced, I would think that her heart would scare the sh*t out of her. **

**I love feedback, both praise and critiques, so please take the time to let me know what you think!**

**I had a suggestion to include term definitions of the random Japanese I throw into the mix. I apologize because it's all over the place in the InuYasha community and most people read and write them all the time and I forget that many people have watched stuff in dub, not sub. So here is the LONG A** list of terms I use frequently. (A * denotes DTB specific terms that, if you watched the sub version, you would hear ALL THE TIME)**

**Glossary:**

Arigato – Thank You

Dameru – shut up!

Dekimasen – I can't

Demo – But

Desu – I am/It is

Gomen nasai – I'm sorry!

Hai – yes

Iie – no

Ikimasho – Let's go

Irasshaimase – Welcome!

Itadakimasu – I gladly receive/accept (proclaimed when served a meal)

Ja Ne – See Ya! / Later!

Ka – added at the end of a sentence to denote a question.

Kaimono – shopping

Kami – gods/spirits

Katte – Buy it!

*Keiyakusha – contractor (pronounced "kay-yahk-sha")

Konban Wa – Good Evening

Konnichi Wa – good day/hello

Kudasai – Please

*Kuro no Shinigami – Black Reaper

Kuso – Sh*t!

Mataashita – See you tomorrow

Matte – Wait!

Nani – what

Nani-yo/Nanda-yo? – What? (or) "What do you want?"

Naze - why

*Ni Maru Ichi – "two – oh - one" ^_^ (pronounced "nee-mah-ree-chee")

Ohayou – Good Morning

Ohi (also "Oi") – hey!

Onsen – hot spring

Oyasumi (nasai) – Good night

Shi – city (often a suffix) it's also the word for "death" and "four"

So ka – well then, so then

Tomatte – Stop!


	3. Clearing the Air

**Yup! Two chapters up in 24 hours. I told you guys I'm on a roll! Don't worry, this scene is NOT over. there's more, but It shall get written tomorrow!** **or later today, rather, LOL it's 4:45 am...going to BED now that I got THIS out of my system!  
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Chapter 3: Clearing the Air

"Sure I'd love to."

Misaki felt like Hei had just sent a bolt of electricity through her with those words. The surprise shot up her spine to the nape of her neck. Her eyes shot up from her lap to meet his. She could see questions in his stare, which was accompanied by a slight smile tugging at the corner of his lips. Misaki returned the sentiment with a smile that she hadn't given him since their dinner together all those years ago. Hei noticed an uncharacteristic twinkle in her eyes. They almost seemed…_hopeful. _ Misaki finished both bowls of noodles and Hei had helped himself to a second also, as Kanami continued to pick away at her only bowl. He noticed her bowl was empty.

"Don't worry, I made plenty. I was getting hungry, too." He flashed them a "Li" smile as he gave her a third helping.. Misaki laughed as she knew what that meant when he was hungry. "Yeah! When your stomach growls, it registers on the Richter scale!"

Kanami sat clueless just watching the two of them laugh at each other. "You know, Li," she interjected, "I'm glad you decided to hang out with us tonight. It seems you two have a lot of catching up to do!"

Hei smirked and glanced at Misaki, "I guess you could call it that." Misaki suddenly laughed even louder and both Hei and Kanami just gawked at her as she was seemingly laughing at what Kanami said. "_Catching_ up! Pun _not_ intended!" she howled with more laughter. She saw Kanami's face become even more baffled, and Hei raised a brow, getting the joke, but definitely not finding it that funny. Misaki looked at Li and gestured her hand to streak over her head, suggesting that Kanami totally didn't get it. That elicited a snort from Hei and a shake of his head. "You are a strange one, Misaki-san."

"You're telling me!" Kanami replied, "My best friend since grade school, we even sort of worked together while I was in Astronomics, and I haven't seen Miss Straight-Laced here laugh this much since we were kids. I think she's lost her mind, Li."

"Vacations do that, Kanami-san," he said with a Li smile, "people come a little unglued when they finally let their guard down."

They finished up and bid Li adieu, "Ja Ne, Li-kun!" Kanami called back over her shoulder as Misaki gave him a wave. "See you around eleven o' clock! We'll wait in the lounge for you!"

As they rounded the corner, finally out of Li's sight and earshot, Kanami and Misaki stopped and just stared at each other with wide-eyed disbelief at what just happened. "I-I…I found him, Kanami. I never thought I'd see him again! I don't know what-"

Kanami grabbed ahold of Misaki's upper arms and squeezed them tightly to emphasize her words, "Misaki, I swear by the Kami, It's got to be fate. I mean…_really._ How did that just happen? We were just talking about him last night and…_Ta-Da! _ There he is."

"I agree, Kanami, but I'm sure he had his reasons for coming here and not going back to Tokyo, and not looking me up. I guess I will find out tonight." _Fate…do I even truly believe in it? Yeah…I guess I do. We really are on the same path, aren't we?_

"Well, since we spent so much time gabbing with loverboy, we definitely will have to come back to those shops another day. But it is only Tuesday, so we have time, and I'm sure you won't mind dropping in on your cutie-pie for lunch again."

"He's not my 'cutie-pie', Kanami," Misaki grumble as her cheeks got hot just thinking about Li like that, "nor my 'loverboy.' We had one pseudo-date."

"Misaki, when we got there, you couldn't take your eyes off each other, and could barely utter a full sentence. Out of nowhere you laughing hysterically at everything, and you both just kind of, well…_relaxed._"

"I was so nervous, Kanami, I didn't know what to do with myself."

They continued to walk up the street back toward the streetcar stop as Kanami turned to her friend, "Misaki, you're practically my sister. I have never seen you so head over heels. Ever. You just have to relax and be yourself. If Li enjoyed your company back then, then he will now."

_Oh Kanami, if you only knew the half of what's going on…_

Kanami continued urging Misaki on, "You are passionate, caring, intelligent, and strong. Be all those things at once. But don't forget to let your hair down a little. Tell Li exactly how you feel, like you told me last night."

_There is so much to say, my friend, more than I could ever let you know._

They hopped on the tram and rode back to the hotel. As soon as they got back they grabbed their robes and headed to the bathhouse. Misaki sank into the hot spring bath, soothing her aching feet, and calming her down. For the first time in her life, she found herself really caring about how she looked for someone. She tried to imagine Li, dressed up with a shirt and tie and nice shoes. The thought made her shiver.

When she and Kanami went shopping for the trip, Kanami convinced her to buy an amazingly feminine and revealing cocktail dress. It was a rich and true blue, the V-shaped neck line plunged to _right_ between her breasts, and the halter-like straps went up and around her neck, criss-crossing over her shoulder blades, leaving most of her back exposed. The ruching along the waist accented her curves and the flowing skirt was cut just about her knees. She's never gone out in public dressed like that before, but tonight was a better night than any to try sexy for the second time ever. She found it amusing that Li had been there the first time she got stuck in a revealing dress, at Alice's party. She recalled Saitou telling her once that Li had mentioned how beautiful he thought I was, and she found it odd that there seemed to be a hint of jealously his voice as he round-about admitted to agreeing with him. _I have to wear it. This is my chance to feel everything I ever wanted to: confident in my beauty, attractive, open and expressive. Besides, my necklace goes with the dress… I wonder if he'll notice it._

After the bath, they had a light dinner, knowing they'd probably end up going out for cocktails and appetizers later. And the girls worked on getting themselves all done up. Misaki broke down and wore contacts that night, as much as she found them to be a pain; she knew that glasses took away from the sexiness of the outfit. She let her now incredibly long hair flow loosely over her shoulders, save the sides she took small amounts on each side and pinned them at the back of her head with a small rhinestone clip. Allowing stray tendrils to frame her face, she finished off her look with a touch of light blue eyeshadow and mascara, lip gloss and strappy silver pumps.

Kanami, in her little strapless black and silver dress that was form-fitting and cut mid-thigh, stood next to Misaki in the mirror and gasped. "Misaki, there is _no way_ Li could resist you tonight. If he doesn't at least go for a kiss, I might question his sexuality."

They giggled at the last statement. Once everything was set, it was about ten o'clock and they headed toward the lobby to the lounge. Kanami bought the first round of drinks they did a shot of aged bourbon whiskey; It was smooth but potent and set their stomachs ablaze. They followed the shots with a martini each, to which the bartender commented, "Heavy hitters, eh, ladies?" Kanami laughed as she replied, I gotta get this one to catch a little buzz before she meets up with her long lost love!"

"Dameru, Kanami, don't call him that! Seriously!" This made Kanami giggle more.

Mid-way through her second top-shelf martini, Misaki looked up to see Li standing in the doorway of the lounge. In dark grey slacks, black shoes and a dress shirt as deep a blue as his eyes, with the sleeves rolled up, and unbuttoned a little way at bottom, and at the top, revealing his well defined collarbones. Her breath caught in her throat. _He looks amazing! It's Li's style in the Kuro no Shinigami's dark colorscheme. Hei and Li meet in the middle to make this delicious…did I just think that?_

"Konban wa, Li-kun," Misaki blushed as he approached her, his eyes seemingly locked with hers the entire way as he moved across the room to her.

O.o ^_^ o.O ^_^ O.o ^_^ o.O

Hei reached the hotel, it was a little earlier than he had planned, but that was fine by him. His eyes scanned the lobby for the "Lounge" sign. He could hear the din of people's conversations emanating from the large room. He stood in the doorway, searching the room for her. And suddenly he found her, and his breath hitched. _Is that really her? She looks…_He grasped for the perfect word and breathed it as he exhaled, "Stunning…" This woman who once hunted him ferociously, was now seemingly here with more personal matters. Had she ever truly been the enemy? He found himself desperately wanting to know more about this intense and beautiful woman who had been such a confusing part of his life. He watched as she delicately set her martini on the bar and looked up toward the doorway, a look of anticipation in her eyes, which widened as they found him. He knew she was intense and would not shy away; he stared her down and let his blood race through veins at the sudden onslaught of thoughts. She did not break her gaze. The look in her eyes seemed to draw him in like a moth to a flame. Her eyes sparkled with excitement.

Hei reached her and she greeted him a bit formally, "Konban wa, Li-kun."

He gave her a sly cooked smile as he leaned into her, taking in her smell. _Sweet like honey, and a hint of something floral. Delectable. Nice choice, Misaki-san…_

He came close enough to her ear so only she could here the true low rumble of his voice, "You look absolutely stunning, Misaki-san." His breath was hot on her skin, and his low tone sent flashes of the Black Reaper into her mind, a shiver ran down her spine and the nerve-endings in the skin around her ear tingled. She couldn't fight the urge to close her eyes and revel in the sensation. Hei caught that, too and knew she was turned on.

Kanami, who had been over at the other end of the bar chatting with the cute bartender, noticed Li and came over to them. "Well _hello_, Li-kun. Don't _you_ look sharp this evening?" She gave Misaki a knowing look.

"So Li, would you like a drink?"

"I-" he went to refuse the beverage but Misaki beat him to it, "He doesn't drink anymore."

"Aw, Li-kun, you're no fun!" Kanami turned away to order another for herself instead.

Hei's eyes widened at Misaki. He whispered to her, "How did you know about that?" She reciprocated the low tone in the private exchange, "Suo told me that day that you had been a bad drunk, and she made you promise to not drink anymore."

He lowered his gaze in thought at the girl's name and nodded. Misaki rested her hand on his upper arm and gave it a gentle knowing squeeze. Hei inhaled sharply at her touch. _How does someone who I barely know, seem to know me so well? Was I just not as observant? Was my anger and hatred blinding me to everything around me? I almost killed this woman the last time I saw her._

Kanami and Misaki finished their drinks, and were trying to decide where to go. "Do you have any suggestions Li-kun?" Kanami asked. "You live here."

He felt a little awkward as he didn't get out much, as not to risk running into too many people. "W-well, I work so much that I don't go out a whole lot. But I heard the Jett Rockclub is a great place to catch some live music."

"Sounds good to me," Misaki smiled up at Li, which he returned and offered her his arm. "Shall we?" Misaki blushed as she took his arm. _He is being such a gentleman. I'm hanging on BK Nimaruichi's arm! This is insane and amazing all at the same time!_

They went out to the rock club and watched a fun pop-punk band play; the female lead singer looked like she was straight out of Harajuku. It was just past midnight and Kanami had had one too many already. And Misaki decided that now would be a good time to get her back, and take a walk with Li.

Kanami was in no state for walking so they hailed a cab to take them back down the street. Misaki left her in her dress and just helped her into bed as Kanami mumbled incoherently. Li just watched the whole spectacle in amusement. They left the hotel room and shut the door quietly behind them. They both just stood there for a moment realizing that they were finally alone. They could be themselves, with no secrets to keep. They let out a simultaneous sigh. And both went to say something to the other at the same time.

"I wanted to-" "I have some-" "How did-"

They both stopped and Misaki giggled. The vodka was getting to her a little. "Hei…"

It had been so long since he'd heard that name uttered, and coming from Misaki, it seemed even more foreign. But she knew…he knew she knew a lot. "The last few years I've gone back to the name Li. So it's all right, just call me Li, is that okay with you, Misaki?" She noticed that he'd dropped the honorifics and it made her blush. She nodded, "Hai…_Li._"

"Come on, let's go somewhere where we can talk freely," he said offering his arm once more. The walked down the street towards the Isaniwa Shrine, and right around the corner was a quiet little park. The water trickled and bubbled in the little foot bath onsen. They walked down a path and came across a little stream and sat down on a nearby bench. "Li, do you mind if I speak first? There's something I've wanted to say to you since the last time I saw you…" Hei nodded and listened intently, his eyes not leaving her face.

"That day you came for Suo and held a knife to my throat, I knew you were angry with me. I could hear it in your voice. Well… I want to finally answer your question: Why did I join Section 3? Because, Li…it was the only way for me to find you."

Hei's eyes narrowed, "Find me…and arrest me."

"No, Li… I stopped wanting to arrest you a long time ago. I just used that as an excuse. I wanted to find you and help you. I realized shortly after the first incident at Hell's Gate, that you and I believed in the same thing…a world where both humans and contractors can live equally."

Hei held his breath, "That's why you were trying to find me…To join forces, in a sense?"

Misaki nodded as tears welled in her eyes. The alcohol had loosened her emotions and she was finally pouring heart out. "Amber made sure that the Mikata Documents landed in my hands, so that I would know how to help you. I was going rogue in some ways, using Section 3's resources for my own means. But I had to still act on their orders as a member of the organization. But I was there, Li…When Izanami…when Yin…I saw July and Suo on the ground." The tears fell; she spoke the words that have been engraved in her heart for years. "Mao was with me…I-I felt so powerless, there was that huge flash of light, and then everything was gone…_You_ were gone. But your star still shined… So I held hope these last few years, trying to put you out of my mind, and just continue fighting for what I…for what _we_ believe in."

Hei sat there, completely taken aback by what he was hearing. He had an ally that whole time and didn't even know it. "So that's why you protected my identity all these years, even from your own best friend."

"I didn't want anyone else to put a name and face to BK201. I wanted you to be safe, wherever you were…Li?"

"Hmm?"

"I'm sorry about Yin. I know she meant a lot to you. I can't imagine the loneliness you've gone through, all these years. That's why I stopped looking for you. I knew you needed your own life back. If your star was shining, then you were alive and well. And that gave me peace of mind."

Hei was astonished at how much Misaki Kirihara cared about him. She was always on the sidelines of his mind, and had he realized it sooner, maybe his life would be different today. She had believed in him this whole time, and he never knew it. Misaki held her hand over her heart covering her pendant. Hei took her hand from her chest and held it between both of his, noticing the star with the blue stone. He smiled softly at her, "Keeping the stars close to your heart, Misaki?"

"Always…" Hei gave in to the urge to close the gap between them, cupping her face with his hands and he pressed his lips ever so gently to hers. She kissed him back. Her lips were sweet and it overwhelmed his senses. He captured her lips with his over and over again. He pulled away slightly to look her in the eyes, "Thank you, Misaki."

"For what?"

"For believing in me."


	4. Late Night Confessions

A/N: I know they both seem a little OOC, and maybe things are a bit hectic. But I've been in Misaki's position before. I was in love with my high school sweetheart for four years before we got together. He had no idea until we started talking one day and it turned into a date. I will never forget that day, telling him everything, and pouring my heart out to him. He was so blown away by my blatant honesty. You know what he did? He kissed me. No words, just pulled me in and kissed me. So yeah, emotional honesty can have a pretty powerful effect on others. A little piece of me put into Hei and Misaki's situation. I hope that's enough of an explanation for Hei's sudden reaction. Because I've been there. True Story.

Here's part 2 of their evening. This I promise was read over more carefully and was treated less haphazardly than last night's chapter. It's only 3 a.m. I'm going to bed EARLY! Hope you enjoy. It's Hei's turn to talk.

Chapter 4: Late Night Confessions

"Thank You, Misaki."

"For what?"

"For believing in me."

Misaki paused, letting her heart soar with the relief that he understood her intentions. A smile crept over her face as she wiped away the remnants of tears.

Hei sat for a moment as well, letting what had just happened seep in. He had acted on his instincts. His heart hadn't been that overwhelmed with emotion in nearly three years. But this…this felt good. He hadn't felt this kind of relief, this surprising warmth, in such a long time. _Of all people…the woman in the Chinese dress: the huntress. _He had just reminded himself that though many of his questions had been answered, there were two very important ones He needed to ask. "So, Misaki, _I_ need to ask _you_ something."

Misaki nodded, anticipating his question.

"Do you _still_ work for Section 3?"

Misaki sighed. "Well, first off, a lot of our team was killed three years ago. 'Section 3' as it was, is no more. I _do _still work with Goro Kobayashi, Mina Hazuki and Madame Oreille, along with a new group of people. We are an underground organization of our own that became a kind of 'anti-Syndicate'. We do what the police _try_ to do in Section 4: Keep the peace between humans and contractors."

Hei grimaced as she admitted to still working with who he had considered an enemy. But as she explained what their goals were, he relaxed a little. He nodded in recognition of her last statement and then proceeded to his last question. "So, you're not going to turn me in, right? I just need to know for sure, to hear it from your mouth."

Misaki just blinked at him, surprised that he would still ask, even after her emotional and honest confession. "Of course not, Li," she reiterated with a hand coming to rest upon his knee. "Your safety and happiness is more important to me than anything else. That's why I have kept your secrets."

Hei exhaled a sigh of relief as he continued to process everything about the woman before him. He didn't feel worthy of someone's love like this. Every time he allowed himself to care, he was hurt. So, for so long he just accepted the solitude and loneliness as a way of life. He still didn't completely understand how Misaki Kirihara managed to develop these intense feelings, unbeknownst to him.

"Why me, Misaki?" He asked with a twinge of melancholy in his voice. "How did I go from being a cold-blooded killer to something you believed in and cared about? As Li, we only had met two different evenings and then ran into each other at the mall that one time. And what made you finally put Li and Hei together?"

That was a long story that Misaki could talk about all night. But she decided to keep it as brief as she could manage. "Well, let's consider how many times you either saved or spared my life, even when I had a gun pointed at you. VI-952 would have killed Saitou and I had it not been for you that night."

Li thought about that night. "That was the first night I really took notice of you."

Misaki chuckled nervously, "Yeah, Saitou told me you had said something."

Li's eyes widened a little, "He told you? But I thought he liked you."

"Heh, yeah, he once used it as a way of telling me that he agreed with you."

"I'll never forget you in that Chinese dress, and the cute little hair-do," he reminisced with a laugh. "And yet you still kicked some ass, even all dressed up like that."

Misaki joined him in the laugh, thinking back. "You're still the only introduction I've ever made in a toilet!"

"Misaki?"

"Nani?"

"Gomen nasai…for doubting you…for holding a knife to your throat and letting my anger get the best of me."

"Apology accepted, Li."

Misaki leaned sideways into Li and rested her head on his shoulder as she watched the water trickling in the stream, the starlight dancing in the ripples. She remembered she hadn't finished her story. "You know how it happened, Li?"

"How?" his voice rumbled low and soft.

"I was intrigued by your actions as BK-201; they weren't as predictable and logical as a normal contractor, which I obviously experienced for myself on numerous occasions while pursuing you. And then I met Li. You were sweet and personable and I found you absolutely adorable. But I found it weird that both times I ran into you after that night at the party that from the back, I mistook Li for BK-201."

"Yeah I figured that," Li sniffed in amusement. "But of course, I'm good at playing dumb."

"Indeed you are…except our night out. There were things we talked about at dinner that though we spoke vaguely with each other, there was a level of understanding that I sensed."

"I felt it, too. That's why I had to push you away…To keep you from getting too close. I didn't want you getting even more wrapped up in my mess. You are too good a person to corrupt with the affairs of killers."

"Well, you told me before we parted that night at the batting cages to 'go with my instincts'. And I did."

Hei looked down his shoulder as she looked up at him to speak those words. He cocked his head slightly and furrowed his brow, urging her to further explain. She sat up to face him.

"My instincts told me you were different, that you weren't like the other contractors. I wanted to know exactly why. That's why I continued to seek you out. It was with those words, that I began to put all the pieces together."

She put her hand over her heart, where the pendant lay on her chest and exhaled and seemed hesitant to continue. "I don't know why I am telling you this, but every night since the first situation at the gate…when you had told me Li was gone…"

Li's eyes looked down at his hands clasped in front of him as he rested his elbows on his knees and grimaced, but remained silent in thought. Misaki continued on.

"…I would go home and sit on my balcony in front of my telescope on a clear night…"

Hei quickly shed the somber face for a one of intrigue. _She has a telescope?_

"…and I would just watch your star, hoping you were somewhere out there, still on your path and doing all right. My instincts told me that you and I were on the same path, toward a where contractors weren't treated like heartless criminals, meant to do evil's bidding. Because…you're not."

"You're right…and wrong. Some contractors enjoy abusing their power. But just like any other criminal, it's the mentality. I…_hated_ having to kill people. Death was never something I reveled in, but something I did to survive. I don't want to do it anymore. I can't watch anyone die anymore because of me. It took my sister, my teammates, and all of the few friends I had…After Yin was gone I…"

He just trailed off and rested his head in his hands covering his face. Misaki obeyed the urge to rub his back gently in consolation. They were both quiet for a few minutes as the crickets chirped away. He slowly pulled his hands away from his face, still staring off into the dim starlight surroundings.

"You know, today, when you showed up, my heart sank. I was sure you would call your people and send me on the run again…Something that I didn't want to do anymore. I figured this place was so far out of the way that I would blend in and be safe here. I seriously contemplated just taking off right then and there."

Misaki had a momentary look of hurt in her face with those words. She couldn't bring herself to retort as he kept explaining.

"But Kanami-san kept referring to me as 'Li', and when I realized I had to at least stay put and put on the _act_, I didn't know what to do with myself. But you looked at me with seemingly as many questions in your eyes as I had for you. So even if was going to have to run once again, at least I would do so knowing the truth."

"That's why you came tonight?" she asked.

Hei nodded, then added, "But the truth was not _at all_ what I expected. I had no idea."

Misaki touched his face gently. "I was expecting you to refute my feelings and tell me that I don't know you at all. I half-expected you to threaten me or something, and tell me to just leave you alone. I was terrified…"

She leaned in and let her eyes close shut as she brushed her lips against his, which clung softly to her bottom lip for just a moment. She pulled away slightly, "My instincts led me to _you_. I _want_ to know you, Li."

Hei examined her with a thoughtful look, "I thought I had you all figured out, Misaki Kirihara…I guess I thought wrong. And I'm _quite_ intrigued by the beautiful, intense and intuitive woman sitting here with me."

Misaki laughed nervously as she blushed at the compliment.

Hei changed the subject to something lighter, "So, you have a telescope, eh? I do, too. I loved looking at the old stars when I was a kid. I learned a _lot_ of the constellations when I was younger. And my sister, Xing, and I would spend hours just staring up at the sky."

Misaki smiled, "Yeah, my father and I would go to the top of our apartment building with the telescope, and he taught me a lot of the same thing, the constellations and the different stars and star clusters, but it was hard dealing with all of the light pollution in the city. The best views were always when we'd go on vacation out in the country. You can see _so _much more when you're not in the city."

Hei nodded and let his whole body relax as the conversation flowed so naturally. _She seems to lack any pretense…Totally honest and forthright. At least now we can pick up where we left off at the batting cages._

The two sat in the park a little while longer, simply sharing like two normal people getting acquainted. It got late and the bars emptied out. Drunken night owls began to disrupt their peace and quiet. Hei decided to walk Misaki back to the hotel. As they stood to leave, Hei placed his hand on her back as if guiding her. His warm hand met soft bare skin and it sent a shiver down Misaki's spine. She began to let images wander through her minds eye of his hands touching more than her back. _Calm down, Misaki! You just found the guy. There's a lot of reacquainting to do before we go there._

Hei felt her shiver at his touch. His instinctually slid down to the small of her back in a gentle caress, as he smiled down at her. Without a word they headed back toward the hotel. Somewhere along the way Hei offered her his arm once more, after she stumbled in her heels. Misaki laughed, "I never wear such ridiculous shoes."

"Let me guess," Hei chuckled along with her. They looked at each other and at the shoes, declaring in stereo, "Kanami."

They arrived back at the hotel, and Li made a gesture as if to leave. "I guess I'll be off, now."

Misaki paused, not wanting his company to end yet. "Wait, Li. Come up and have some tea with me. I always have a nice cup of herbal tea before bed. Kanami's drunk ass will be snoring away until at least ten in the morning or so. I've had plenty of these nights with her to know that she won't be waking up any time soon."

Hei shrugged and said, "Sure. Why not?"

Misaki took him by the hand and walked to the elevator. The elevator doors shut behind them, and they both leaned against adjacent walls, merely watching each other. Misaki gnawed lightly on her bottom lip. Hei's first kiss played on her mind; it had been a shock to her system. She wanted so badly to kiss him again, and linger there awhile. With a 'ding', the doors opened to the top floor, where her room was. Hei followed Misaki down the hall. As she arrived at the door, she went to unlock it and paused. She could feel Li lingering mere inches away from her as he leaned his arm slightly on the door frame, near her head. She instantly turned into him and found his lips, as she slid her hands under his arms and up his back.

Li was caught off guard but quickly snapped to and let his eyelids slide shut as she embraced him. Her scent enveloped him and he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into his chest. He felt her relax into his embrace and part her lips under his. Hei took the invitation to run his tongue along her lip and taste her.

Misaki hummed at the gesture and reciprocated. _His scent, his taste…is beyond anything I could have imagined in all my wildest fantasies…_

Hei's blood coursed through his veins and Misaki's breathing became erratic as they couldn't bear to let the other go in that moment. Tongues tangled and breath mingled as so much needed to be said with their lips, yet without words. So many emotions were at stake. Slowly Misaki pulled away, their face mere inches apart.

"Li, do you believe in fate?"

Hei nodded, "Hai, Misaki…but that is a loaded answer for another time." He looked at her letting the mental exhaustion spread over his face. "Let's relax and have some tea. To be honest, my head is swimming. This whole day has me reeling."

Misaki smiled knowingly. "You're not the only one."

Once inside the room, they could hear Kanami snoring in the other room as they removed their shoes.

"It's worse when she's drunk. It's not normally that bad," she explained as she reached for mugs and tea bags in the little cubby next to the microwave. Hei sat himself on the futon in the sitting area and leaned back, stretching and letting out a huge yawn.

"Oh Li, if you were tired, you didn't have to stay for tea. You should have just said-"

"I _wanted_ to stay, Misaki…besides, I don't work tomorrow. I have Wednesdays off, so I can sleep in."

She put the mugs of water with their tea bags in the microwave and set it. "Li, excuse me for a minute, I really need to get out of this dress and take these stupid contacts out."

Li cleared his throat as he pictured her doing _just that_. "Sure thing."

By the time the microwave beeped, Misaki re-entered the room wearing a little black tank top and very short light gray pajama shorts. Li noted that he was beholding a far more of her body than he had earlier. _Wow. She's in good shape. Look at those legs…_

Misaki came over and handed him a cup. "Careful, they're pretty hot, these cups."

She sat down beside him and tucked her legs under herself as she leaned into him; hold her mug of tea with two hands. He allowed himself to relax into her as well and took a sip.

"This is my little end-of-the-day ritual," Misaki admitted. "I've got to have my tea. It helps me unwind."

Hei hummed in approval as he took another sip.

"So, how's boring old normal life working out for you, Li? Is it everything you had hoped?"

He nodded and took another sip of tea, swallowing before answering, "Absolutely. The routine is soothing in a way, and the solitude is peaceful. I've been wanting this since I was thirteen…just to go back to being normal."

"Wow, they snatched you up pretty young. How horrible!"

"Well, now, boring old life is everything I've ever wanted. To not be Kuro no Shinigami, to not have to fight or run, but to just _be_."

"So, what about fighting for peace and equality?"

"I still want those things; I'll never stop wanting a world that coexists. I just don't have any fight left in me."

Misaki nodded in understanding. "I could never fully comprehend how deeply everything you've been through would affect someone."

Hei pondered all the emotions that bubbled to the surface, just thinking about the last ten years of his life. His eyes went a little cold with his recollections, his voice resonating like the Black Reaper's "You really want to know, Misaki?"

She nodded solemnly.

"It makes you angry at the injustices done to others and at the greed of mankind…it makes you hate and distrust. It makes you loathe yourself, sometimes to the point of not wanting to live. It's unfathomable sadness and loneliness as everyone you care about is taken from you. It numbs you and makes a heart callous as you are taken advantage of for others' personal gains…and it keeps you from loving, because you fear the pain of loss… That's what it does."

With his words, Misaki's heart ached at the thought that he's had to feel all those awful things for much of his life. Tears welled in her eyes as she tried to put herself in his shoes. It was too much to try to comprehend all at once. A sob escaped her lips and she instantly covered her mouth with her hand to stifle any further ones.

Hei looked over at her to she tears streaming silently down her face. _How deeply she empathizes._ He lifted his free hand and began to stroke the back of her head, running his fingers through her long chestnut hair. "Hey…I'm all right, Misaki. Everything I've been through has made me appreciate the simplicity of what I have now."

She looked at him, wiping away the still-falling tears and steadying her breathing. Without a word she just curled up to him, as he laid his arm over her and sipped his tea.

After a few minutes he realized she had fallen asleep. He didn't have the heart to wake her, and she was so…warm. Something inside him kept him from getting up. He laid his head back against the futon, still sitting upright with an unconscious Misaki Kirihara cuddled up to his side.

_Today was unreal…am I going to wake up and find that it was all a dream?_ Pondering the day's events and his current position, he let his eyes drift closed.

The sun came up only a few hours later and peeked through the blinds of the hotel room's balcony door. Misaki's eyes flew open. She quickly recalled the previous day's whirlwind of events and nearly panicked. _Was all that real?_ Suddenly, she became aware of soft breathing coming from behind her, and an arm resting on her side. She lifted herself onto her elbow and realized who was behind her. _Kuso! Li's still here! He didn't take off? He really was exhausted, huh? _

Hei lay on his side behind Misaki, still in last night's outfit, with his arm tucked under his head. His other arm lay on her side, where he had rested it the night before in a gesture of comforting. The mugs of tea, hers still half full and his empty, were on the floor in front of them. She didn't know what time it was but Kanami wasn't up yet, and Li was fast asleep and she didn't dare disturb that beautifully peaceful face.

So, she lay back down and snuggled up for a little extra warmth, as they had no blanket on the futon couch. Hei subconsciously pulled her closer, still asleep. Misaki smiled to herself as she let herself fall back asleep for a few more hours, reveling in this amazing feeling.


	5. A New Day

_This Chapter's a bit of an emotional roller coaster._ I like to write inside characters heads. Hope you like it! I took my time with it. o.O How can you not LOVE Misaki? Gawddammit, I do! I have my final scene already written, I'm just making my way there. this sotry is turning out to be a whole lot longer than intended, but then again, brevity has never been a trait of mine. hehehe...

This Chapter goes out to my **newfound friends** here in the DTB fic community. **Sakabotou77, Dear4Life, Aerysa & Outwriter18**. Thanks for being **totally cool people**! Check out their stories, if you haven't already! **They are all great writers!**

Chapter 5: A New Day

Hei awoke slowly to the sounds of birds in the garden outside in the courtyard. His eyes opened slowly as he came to, and suddenly it dawned on him where he was. Last he remembered, he was sitting upright on the futon as Misaki had fallen asleep curled up next to him. He now found himself lying on his side with Misaki snuggled up against him and his arm was firmly wrapped around her waist and his hand tucked under her. She breathed softly in slumber. He realized that he must have subconsciously laid down in his sleep. Hei felt the heat rise to his face. He still had this odd sense of disbelief at what had transpired the night before. Still he replayed her words in his mind and the look in her eyes as she said them. He was usually so good at putting up a wall, that it baffled him how she seemed to demolish it before its construction.

_How did she get to me like this?_ He pondered his emotional weakness a moment and began to ask himself if he really minded. He wanted so badly to be annoyed and distrustful, but every doubt in his mind seemed to be negated something she had said or done last night. _She isn't putting on an act. She doesn't have one bad bone in her body. _ That he knew for sure. He could sense a lie a mile away.

He closed his eyes in resignation and inhaled deeply, all he could smell right now was her; she was so close. He felt goose bumps prickle his skin and shiver shoot up his spine when allowed himself to revel in her scent. Her hair, her skin…_her lips tasted like her berry lip gloss._ He continued to question his visceral magnetism toward this baffling woman. He mentally argued with himself over whether this was too good to be true.

Suddenly Misaki sighed as she stretched and turned in his arm to face him, her eyes droopy with sleep. Hei looked down at her curiously as she smiled up at him. She held his gaze for a moment before breaking the silence.

"For once, Li, you didn't run away."

Hei's jaw dropped, wanting to retort but the words never came. She was right. Except for that one night, he has always evaded her. Misaki noticed the shock in his face at her blatant truth. She simply leaned her head against his chest.

"I'm so glad," she sighed.

He continued to just watch her, trying to let her words sink in as he brushed some hair from her face. _ This woman is so honest it's unnerving. She hasn't tried to hide that she's in love with me, though she only knows about certain pieces of me. How does she look through my unforgivable history straight to my core? How did she just seem to know the path I chose? Why would she care about me more than as a mere ally, even if we were striving for the same goals?_

His ponderings made his head swim until suddenly his stomach told him what time it was. Misaki burst into laughter. "It's been entirely too long since I heard that ridiculous sound!" She howled. "I'm with your stomach on that one, Li. It's definitely time for some breakfast."

"Ugggghhhh…" There came a pained moan from the bedroom of the suite. Kanami had woken up. She appeared in the doorway, still in last night's dress, completely disheveled and looking a little green.

"What the _hell_ was that noise? It sounded like bad pipes in an old apartment."

Misaki giggled uncontrollably as Li apologized for waking her.

"Well, _Ohayou,_ Li!" Kanami raised a brow. "You guys got a little cozy I see! Did you sleep well?"

Both of them blushed and didn't respond for a moment until Misaki changed the subject abruptly. "Li and I are incredibly hungry and that hotel breakfast will _not_ be enough. Want to go for breakfast somewhere, Kanami?"

"Neither my head nor my stomach want to consider food of any kind right now, Misaki," Kanami stated with another groan. "I think I'm going to drink some water and go back to sleep for a little while."

She turned back toward her bed and stopped. "What time is it anyway?"

Misaki grabbed her mobile from the floor near her and flipped it open. "10:04."

Kanami frowned, "Well I'm going to need at least another two or three hours before I can even _function_. So guys, go have your breakfast…and maybe even lunch. I'll be ready for dinner, but for now, I have to recuperate. You'll probably find me in the baths if I'm not here when you get back."

Misaki nodded and Kanami hobbled back into the room. She turned back to Hei, "Let me change and we can be off."

I was only a matter of minutes before she returned in a cute pair of khaki shorts with a soft yellow cap-sleeve blouse with a delicate blue and white floral design. She wore her star around her neck. Hei noticed, of course, and let a half-smile tug at the corner of his mouth. Misaki brushed her teeth vigorously as she searched around the suite for a hair tie. She threw her sunglasses in her purse, knowing she'd need them. After finishing with her grooming, she came back to Hei's side. He'd already tried to neaten himself up from sleeping in his dress clothes.

"You have the day off, you said, right?" Misaki asked him.

"Uh, yeah I don't have-"

"Well, since I have time to kill, after breakfast, we'll get you back to your apartment to change and then, maybe, could you show me around town a bit?"

_Oh crap, my place? Show her around? Damn, she's a persistent one. But I should know that already. _Hei tried to think of an excuse and failed.

"Uh, sure. We can do that."

Misaki grabbed her purse and slung it over her shoulder and she and Hei were off. They got outside to the street as a streetcar was pulling up. Hei gestured for them to hop on. They got off at Shimizumachi. There were brightly colored posters up on walls and telephone poles advertising the coming summer festival. Misaki stopped and tried to

grab some information from one, but a hand grabbed hers and pulled her gently in the other direction, "Come on, Misaki. I swear my stomach is going to eat itself if I don't eat soon." Misaki was too busy trying to disperse the butterflies in her stomach at the touch of his hand to be offended by his impatience.

Hei caught the pink in her cheeks and it finally dawned on him that he was holding her hand. His heart skipped a beat and he quickly dropped her hand. "Oh! Sorry about that!"

Misaki smiled getting even more flushed, "Quite alright, Li."

They arrived at a eatery called Kankou Do, Li opened the door and held it open for her. "Best breakfast in the neighborhood," he declared with a smile.

"Ah, Li-san!" An older lady approached them, beaming. "How's my favorite patron?"

"Ohayou, Maeda-san! A table for two this morning, please," Hei gestured to Misaki.

"So ka! And who, may I ask, is your lovely lady friend?"

"Misaki Kirihara, Maeda-san. Pleased to meet you!" She introduced herself with a small bow. "Li tells me you have the best breakfast in town!"

Hei blushed with a very "Li"-like face as the little older lady patted his shoulder.

"That doesn't surprise me, as he's here twice a week…But never before with a _companion_. I'm glad to see this sweet young man has a girlfriend!"

Misaki waved her hand dismissing the comment, "Oh, we're just…_old friends_, and we ran into each other here while I'm on vacation."

Hei gave her a smirk at her choice of terminology, as Maeda-san looked a little deflated. "Aw, that's too bad…well here you are! Have a seat and enjoy! Eiji-kun will be right with you. Nice meeting you my dear!" And with a bow she was off to the kitchen.

Misaki giggled, "The look on your face was priceless. And so very 'Li Shengshun', I might add."

"Well," Li explained, "Li was always just an exaggerated part of me, save the clumsiness and naivety."

Misaki lowered her voice, "Is that your real name, Li? I always assumed it wasn't, but I had to ask."

Hei raised a brow at her, "That's a good question. The Syndicate had erased all records of Xing and my existences when we were taken in. So just to spite them, I used my name. It was always a little bit of a sore spot with them. But they made my life a living hell for a good ten years or more, so I took that back from them."

Misaki eyes widened, "Wow. I would have never guessed! No one _ever_ uses their real name undercover." She giggled with a sudden thought, "Well, maybe except Saito."

He nodded quietly, scanning the menu. Misaki thought aloud, "You know, Mao still mentions you from time to time. I know he misses you."

Hei looked up to her at the mention of his former partner's name. "How is Mao? Is he still working with you?"

"Yeah he's _my_ partner now, ironically enough. He's back to being a cat now. This new one is also black, but has a little patch of white right on his throat."

"Hmm…" He half listened as his stomach distracted him. Misaki took that as the cue to pick something from the menu.

The waiter came over, brought them tea and took their orders: A double order of the salmon breakfast tray for her with extra pickles, and two mackerel trays and three salmon trays with five extra tamagoyaki omelet rolls for him.

"Going a little lighter today, eh? Are you feeling okay?" Misaki teased.

He smirked, "Yeah just going a little lighter on my wallet. If I'm still hungry, I can whip up something quick at the apartment. I just wanted to show you this place."

"Do you live nearby?"

"About 5 blocks away."

"Perfect. A little walk to digest," she mused as she looked out the window next to them, noticing all the passers-by. She looked over from the window to him, just to find him watching her. For a long moment, she locked her gaze with his, as he seemed to be trying to find something deep within her soul. Misaki was trying to read the questions that lie just under the surface of his expression.

The rising tension between them was getting thick and Misaki grew flush and gave in to the intensity of his stare, closing her eyes for a second. She heaved a sigh, "We've only scratched the surface, huh?"

"Indeed." Hei knew there was so much more to talk about. It would undoubtedly dredge up memories and feelings he would not want to recall. But he knew it necessary to understand each other, and this peculiar situation they suddenly found themselves in.

He found himself still watching her as she had turned red and finally broke their visual connection. The energy, he sensed, was very powerful between them. He was taking his own advice…The very advice he had given her all those years ago. _Go with your instincts. She could very well be the one to lead you back to that third path._

Misaki had thoughts of her own but they were directly associating with the twitch of her inner thighs as he had invaded her with his deep blue eyes. She stared into the cup of green tea in front of her as she started forming scenarios in her mind of him casually changing his shirt in front of her back at his apartment. _Why am I letting my mind get so far ahead of myself? Get a grip, Misaki!_

Eiji returned with Maeda-san behind him as he balanced multiple trays very carefully. He placed them down systematically, attempting to fit it all on the table. One tray and the plate of extra tamagoyaki got placed on a small nearby table and pulled over to abut theirs. Misaki took a bite of her fish, accompanying it with some rice and a bite of nori. The fresh fatty flavor of the salmon hit her tongue and elicited a hum of enjoyment. Li looked on, quite pleased with her reaction.

"I _knew_ you'd like it," he smiled, digging in as well.

They both began happily stuffing their faces, completely intent on their food; they unknowingly simultaneously picked up their soup bowls and began slurping away. After a couple seconds it dawned on them, and they peered over their respective bowls at the other. Li nearly choked at the sight of Misaki mirroring his gluttony as Misaki swallowed hard before snorting with laughter.

"You came _so_ close to wear my soup just now," she laughed.

"Hah! We definitely look like we haven't eaten in a couple days!"

They both had a good belly laugh at their ridiculous feasting. As Misaki regained her composure, she wiped a tear of laughter from the corner of her eye.

"You know, Alice and Kanami always told me I'd get fat at thirty if I kept eating this way. I'm only a few months from it. I'm the same size I was over five years ago. So much for _that_ theory!"

Li nodded having heard that quite a bit himself. "Yeah, I don't believe them, either."

"This place _is_ really good, Li. Thank you for sharing!"

"Don't mention it," he said, with a tug at the corner of his mouth.

After clearing the trays of all their contents, Misaki reached for her purse, and opened her wallet.

He stopped her in her tracks by placing his had over hers. "Put your money away. This is my treat."

His was low and subtly urging her to let him be a gentleman.

She sighed and raised a brow at him. If there ever was a time that she would jump him from over a table it would have been right now. She shook her head in disbelief as a smile spread across her lips, "Arigato, Li."

They left with a wave to Maeda-san, and made their way down the street. Hei stuck his hands in his pockets as usual. Misaki took the opportunity to slink her arm through his, resting her palm on his firm bicep. She gave his arm a gentle squeeze. "Now to finally get rid of your nighttime look," she chuckled.

She had a point: it was a bright sunny day and quite warm. He definitely needed a pair of shorts and a tank top or short sleeved shirt to wander around outside today. After a few minutes they arrived at a large white apartment building. They went up the stairwell to the second and stopped at the first door on their left. Misaki giggled.

"How amusingly _coincidental_…"

She stared at the number on the door: 201.

"Would you believe that's the _second_ time this has happened? I thought you would have noticed the first time, too," he teased.

She thought back to when he lived in that old run down apartment in Tokyo. "Oh, goodness! You're right! You can't tell it wasn't on purpose!"

"I swear, it's a complete coincidence."

He unlocked the door, and opened it. She was let in ahead of him into his large first room. It was his kitchenette to the right and a living area to the left. The faint smell of spices remained in the air from last night's dinner. She noticed two more doors on the fall at the back of the room. The one on the left she could clearly see a bed in. She assumed the other was the bathroom. She pointed in the right door's direction.

"Mind if I use your bathroom?"

"Go right ahead. Don't mind the mess. I'm a guy, after all."

Misaki flipped on the light to see a fairly pristine bathroom. Other than a towel lazily hanging from the back of the door and his toothbrush on the corner of the sink, one would wonder if it had been used. _Hell, he's neater than I am. What on earth is he talking about?_

She glanced at his shower and had a thought flash of what usually transpired in it. _Damnit, you! Get out of my head!_

When she came out of the bathroom, she laughed at him, "You're neater than I am and I am definitely not a slob. You call that a mess? Or do you think I'm obsessive-compulsive?"

He sniffed at her comment and didn't give her a real answer.

She looked around, taking in the more home-like quality of this space compared to the one she had gone to, looking for him after the Saturn Ring had been destroyed.

"This place is so much nicer than your last place."

"And how would you know that?"

Misaki was caught like a deer in headlights, "Well, of course I went looking for you after you took off." The embarrassment of admitting it was written all over her face. "Your landlady told me you left in a hurry, deported or something, and she let me into the apartment."

"I know…" Hei interrupted her.

"So that _was_ you I saw from the window!" she gasped. She softy put her clenched fist against his chest with a glare of frustration burning in her eyes. "Do you how badly I just wanted talk to you before you left? To tell you everything that I've held with me and tried to push out of my mind for the last three years?"

Hei frowned, recalling the desperate and deflated look on her face as he hid in the trees and watched her turn and walk away after receiving a phone call. He gently grabbed her by the upper arms, giving her a look that pleaded with her for forgiveness. "I'm sorry Misaki. I had my reasons. I _had_ to disappear."

"I forgive you, Li. Your memory kept me going all these years. After you saved me from Horai's chokehold…I knew. Horai called it 'the third path', as if there were only supposed to be two. That middle road, I chose it in that moment and threatened to take him down with the Syndicate. I thought you were with me on that…when you were about to take his life for attempting to take mine."

She had tears welling in her eyes at the emotional recollection of what endlessly replayed in her mind for so long. His chest tightened, echoing the same emotional recollection.

"_You_ stopped me from killing him…" he whispered.

"…Because we both know that killing them isn't always the answer," she finished the thought.

Echoes of his experience in the gate washed through Hei's mind: Bai, Huang, Mao, Nick…Amber. _They all knew. I needed to the middle road…the third path._

He pulled Misaki into a firm, yet tender embrace, resting his cheek against her temple and wrapping his arms around her shoulders. "My sister, Huang, Mao, Amber…they were all there in the gate with me that day," he said solemnly. "They told me pretty much the same thing: To choose both…even if would be the most difficult path."

"It's been more than you bargained for." Misaki empathized, recalling the events that followed with the Izanami/Izanagi situation.

Neither of them spoke further, taking comfort in each others arms in a peaceful silence, save the sound of their breathing.


	6. Unwinding & Unraveling Part 1

**A/N: All of the places I mention in this story are real. I did a lot of research as to Tourism and whatnot in Matsuyama City and it's area. I studied maps and pictures and stuff. All the name drops: the hotel, the beach, the shrine the castle, the park, the villages, the restaurants, the transit system, the festivals and the times of year, the climate...are all real. It's making me want to go there so bad! **

**_Daifuku_: A rice pastry made with bean and fruit jams. _Tenshu_: A castle tower. _Kashikobo_: pastry shop. _Ikimasho_: Let's go. _Kuso_: Sh*t!**

**PS. Internal Battle alert. Mind vs. Heart. Thus the chapter title.**

Chapter 6: Unwinding & Unraveling (Part 1)

A few minutes seemed like an eternity had passed. Hei held Misaki tightly as she, other than Mao, now was the last person that truly connected him to who he had been for over a decade of his life. Oddly, he found her ushering him into a new train of thought. He struggled with so many ideals and emotions: amongst them Love, Loss, Destiny and the Renunciation thereof. He inhaled deeply and held it a moment before exhaling. Hei felt some of the pain and heartache wash away as he did so, relaxing in Misaki's arms.

In her, there was refuge; there was comfort. But above all, she was the first person since Yin's passing that, he felt, could understand him at all. But this feeling was different. Misaki was not Bai, nor Yin. She could be a partner, yes, but so much more. Yin was his partner, his comrade, his lifeline. But when she was gone, he felt like he had lost Bai all over again. Misaki offered something in his existence that hadn't been present since Amber revealed her true intentions to him in the gate. Very much like Amber had, Misaki had devoted herself to his welfare from the day they chose the same path. Hei contemplated this awhile. _Where is this inexplicable trust coming from? Her intention seems so…genuine._

Misaki held onto him, her arms wrapped firmly around his torso as they breathed, slowly and deliberately together. She had allowed herself to follow her instincts thus far. And here in her arms she held the man that had consumed her thoughts and her life's work for so long. It was a warm sensation, their energy mingling as they passively calmed each other.

Hei finally felt his tension ease and he gave Misaki one final, assuring squeeze before releasing her to fix his eyes to hers.

"I'm going to change, ok? Make yourself at home."

He relinquished his hold and his arm, as if possessing a mind of its own, reached out to touch her face gently as he pulled away, exiting to his bedroom. Her eyes followed him till he disappeared behind the door. _What that man does to me…it's unlike anything else._

She sat down on the futon, turned on his TV and flipped through some channels. She stopped when she saw that the news was on. She was brought back to reality as a mug shot of the contractor she was hunting flashed on the screen. He was a bit of a brute with short messy blonde hair: TG-352. His power was extreme heat radiation. He melted his way into three major banks and has made off with billions of yen.

"_The police are on high alert and are searching for this man. He is a known contractor. Police advise civilians not to engage him, but ask that you call their tip hotline if you see him."_

Misaki snorted, "As if the PSB would ever find him that way! They're grasping at straws! Even if they _did _capture him, any normal holding cells wouldn't contain him. Pfft, baka-ka."

"Now _that_ sounds like Misaki Kirihara," Hei declared through the sliding shoji door.

She paused and then laughed aloud, realizing she had gone into "work" mode and was talking to herself. "Even on vacation, it's too easy to just snap back into that mindset," she said aloud, this time directing her attention to Li in the other room.

Hei slid open the door to his bedroom. He was wearing khaki cargo shorts, one of his signature black tank tops and his black Converse sneakers. "You are like night and day when it comes to work," he added joining her on the futon couch and eyeing the TV screen. "But that's what obviously makes you…_you._"

He looked back to her and smirked, "From what I remember, you've always taken your job quite seriously."

Misaki blushed, knowing how much that insinuated concerning her hunt for him, and the long conversation they'd once had about it over dinner. She returned the smirk with a raise of her brow. "So yeah, about that _work _thing…I think I need to make less of it and more _vacation_ happen, right now. Are you set to go?"

He gave an affirmative nod, "Ikimasho."

Out of the apartment they went, into the streets of Matsuyama for an afternoon around town. As they rounded the corner of his block, Matsuyama Castle loomed ahead. Misaki's eyes widened and she picked up the pace.

"Oh, we are _so_ going to visit the castle! Right now! My treat, Li!"

Li began to hustle to keep up with her, "Wait a sec, Misaki! The grounds are huge and the entrance in on the south side of the grounds, let's hop back on the trolley. It's faster."

They hoofed it as they saw a street car pulling up. They got in and squeezed on the packed tram. Hei held on to the overhead and wrapped the other arm around Misaki protectively, as they felt like a can of sardines. Her neck tingled as her whole back was flush against his chest, and her backside firmly against parts of Li's body that she'd only dreamt about. She resisted a shiver with all her might and just rested her forearm over his.

Hei found himself relishing the forced proximity, mentally noting how flawlessly her body melded against his. He shook his head of the thought, as he felt a twitch in a particular place, threatening to give away his wandering mind. It was then that he realized how many years it had been since he'd had any type of affair with a woman. A number of years he cared not admit to himself again. _Entirely too long_. He ended his train of thought with that statement and tried to not dwell on the soft body pressed against him.

Misaki was very aware of Li. His muscles tensed and flexed with the motion of the trolley, keeping them steady on their feet. It made her ponder things she hadn't done since college. _Has it been that long? Kuso! That is something I should never admit to anyone…EVER._ The stop for Matsuyama Castle couldn't have come soon enough for either of them. They squeezed their way off the streetcar and breathed sighs of relief. As they did, they paused to look at each other and blushed as if they knew the other had been thinking similar thoughts. Hei laughed, easing the unresolved tension.

"That trolley was a damn sweatbox. People really need to wear deodorant this time of year!"

Misaki chuckled and agreed, "Yeah…maybe we should just walk back later."

"That'd make for a good excuse to stop at Kiri No Mori Kashikobo," Hei suggested. "They have _amazing_ strawberry daifuku; but _all_ of their pastries and desserts are good."

"It figures you would know of all the good eats around town," Misaki teased with a poke to ribs. Her gesture took him off guard and he twitched away from her finger.

Misaki giggled and lowered her voice so only he could hear her. "The Black Reaper is a tad ticklish, huh?" She stored that fact away in the 'Fun Facts about Li' folder in her mind as they wound their way up the paved path the Castle entrance.

"Don't even _think_ about it," he threatened playfully with a side glance. _Is that a devious grin on her face? Is she really that pleased with herself? More importantly, does that mean she enjoys teasing me?_ Every moment of this past day has proved to be riddled with shocks and surprises for Hei: Discovering a ton about Misaki Kirihara, and quite a bit about himself in the process, as well.

They arrived at the entrance and Misaki gave him a look that read "Don't you dare protest me" as she paid their entrance fee. They hopped on the lift car at the ropeway station with a few others that looked like college students. The lift swayed gently back and forth as it climbed up the hillside. Misaki watched as the trees sank below them and with them, the city. "What a gorgeous view…" she breathed.

Hei hummed in agreement. Coming to the castle grounds was one of the first things he did after settling into Matsuyama-shi. He just would wander the gardens or sit at the top of the hill and take in the city below him. He found it very meditative. In their shared moment of contentment, Hei pushed aside the hint of self-doubt and gently pulled her back against him, putting them in the same position they had been in on the trolley. This time, though, it was relaxed and less protective. She naturally leaned back against him as she continued to take in the view, as he looked on over her shoulder.

Misaki fought hard against the desire to kiss him like she had last night. _We are in public, after all._ She knew it would draw unwanted attention; although she made a note to do so as soon as they had a moment of privacy. _Damn it. He's driving me crazy._ She rested her hand over his which lightly gripped her waist.

He leaned in toward her ear, speaking in a low rumble, "This place saved my sanity when I first got here. I wandered the gardens and the grounds to clear my head. I'm really glad that you wanted to come here. I can't wait to show you this place."

She closed her eyes at the vibration of his voice so close to her ear. Like a magnet, her head leaned toward the sound and his lips brushed against her skin. The sensation was so overwhelming, she forced back a moan.

The car came to a sudden halt at the top of the hill, jerking them out of their own little world. She looked back over her shoulder toward the opening door and his face was still so close. She held his gaze for a moment before nearly pulling him with her toward the door. He let his arm slide out from her waist and gently catch her forearm as they moved out into the beautiful sunshine.

They entered a vast courtyard outlined by cherry trees. Misaki tried to envision what is looked like in the spring, in full pink blossoms. _I'll need to come back here and see this. I bet it's heavenly._

Hei answered her question, "This courtyard is absolutely beautiful in April. You'll have to come see it."

To her, he seemed to be inviting her back to share in that with him and she quite enjoyed the idea. "I'll come back for the spring festival for sure," she responded. It seemed to please him and she left it at that.

They approached the main gate and entered the grounds. They got momentarily stuck behind a tour group that was just beginning walk into the castle, and caught a bit of the historical commentary. Misaki seemed interested, though Hei had heard and read about all this before. She grabbed his hand and surprisingly pulled him away from the wandering crowd.

"You said you've come here a lot…show me around. I don't want to have to follow the tour guide and all those people," she reasoned.

"Well then, let's make our way around the outside. There are so many little things along the way," he said leading her, leaving his hand where it was with hers. The path wound along the stone wall; there were little sets of stairs leading to more gravel pathways. The greenery was well maintained and decorative. As they went a little farther along, Hei veered down a smaller dirt path through the shade trees.

"Follow me. Not many people know about this," he said with a hint of excitement in his voice.

They walked briskly down the path through the brush and suddenly the woods seemed to just stop. There was a little ledge with a view toward the west, overlooking the ocean in the distance. It was a gorgeous view. The sun was bright and it was so clear that the blue of the ocean seemed to blend into the sky at the horizon. She imagined sitting here watching the sun settle into the Inland Sea.

"The sunsets must be amazing from here," Misaki mused, intuiting a reason for him liking this spot.

Hei just smiled mildly and nodded, "One evening, before you leave, we'll come here. During the festival, all the lights, smells and music invade the senses. And as the sun sets, the city comes alive. You can see all of it happen from here."

Misaki's eyes widened, "Really? Don't the castle grounds close before sunset?" She suddenly answered her own questions in a single thought. She pictured him bringing his utility belt and swinging them back down to the ground fluidly through the trees, evading the nighttime security. "Ohhhh…"

Before she could utter another word, there was a finger on her lips, gently silencing her. That finger was quickly replaced by his lips, as they pressed deliberately against hers. Misaki leaned into him and ran her tongue along the parting of his mouth. Hei reciprocated and deepened the kiss as his wrapped an arm around her waist, and the other found the nape of her neck. She cupped his face with her hands, gently sliding them up his cheeks and into his thick shaggy black hair. They breathed each other in as they lingered in the kiss, slowly parting; keeping their eyes fixated on the others moistened lips.

Their gaze slowly returned, eye to eye. Misaki had to ask something aloud, as it had been eating her up inside.

"This is real, right? I mean…I've been holding this back from you for years. I don't want to finally let all these emotions free, just to find out-"

"Misaki."

He stopped her from continuing the thought in the wrong direction.

"In a single day, you have managed to keep me from nearly running away from you, get me to go out with you, and now to want to get to know _more_ of you. I promise you, this isn't my old act. I need to understand how suddenly _you_, of _all_ people, are here with all the answers, and how I can't help but feel that I can trust you."

"Do you believe in fate, Li?" Misaki asked, once again.

"There's that question again," he said with a raise of a brow.

"Let me tell you why I ask," Misaki began. "This necklace…" She played with the little star on the chain. "I bought this literally hours before I ran into you."

By the look on his face, she knew she had his attention. She continued, "I spent the last three years trying to stifle anything I thought and felt for you. I tried to rationalize it all away, calling it 'obsession' and whatnot. But all of a sudden, a couple weeks ago, you popped into my head and just _wouldn't_ go away."

He smirked at her a little but let her go on. "I started watching your star again after two years of putting the telescope away and _leaving it_ there. Then, even when Kanami and I got here, we had a little conversation about you. Well, about 'Li' anyway; she doesn't know who you _are_, of course…"

"Of course…" he reiterated.

"So yesterday we went shopping after spending a few hours in the sun. We ended up at the silversmith shop down the street from your stand…when this caught my eye. There was an onyx one, too," she giggled at her last thought, causing Hei to shake his head with a half-smile.

"But _that_ would have been too obvious, even for me. Kanami knew why I was getting it She knew that I've always had an eye on BK-201, but never knew the correlation. I told her I got the blue one because it's my favorite color…which _is_ a truth…"

"But not the whole truth…" he finished.

"Your eyes have been burned into my mind since the day we met. And that sapphire blue reminded me of them," she said with finality, meeting his gaze once again to behold that beautiful color.

"And then you came for some ramen."

"And _that_, Li, is why I ask if you believe in fate. Because this ache in my heart has been there for years, no matter how hard I worked to fool myself."

"And here we are…"

"Here we are," she echoed him, as if making it all the more real in her mind.

"If I did accept the idea of fate, then I would have to say that it screwed me pretty hard for most of my life…by taking me away from my family, taking away my sister and anyone I've ever cared about."

"But even though Bai is gone, don't you feel she left you with her power for a purpose?"

"I _know_ she did. And, yes…it's for the purpose that I am to right a whole lot of wrongs in this world."

"Then why-?"

Becoming suddenly irritated with the questions, He snapped at Misaki, "Because I couldn't continue on with the way things were. I swear on my life that I refuse to lose anyone else…"

Misaki knew she had pushed one too many buttons and ruined a perfect moment.

"I'm sorry, I pried too much. Let's get back onto the right footing, okay?"

Hei nodded and looked out to the blue horizon a moment before turning and walking back toward the castle. "Come on, there's a whole lot more to see. Let's make out way up to the main keep."

She knew he was pained. There was no hand, no smile. But she was still happy that he had considered her original question. She hoped he would shake off the negative feelings and find another moment of happiness in this beautiful place.

They walked through numerous huge wooden gates and through a couple more small courtyards before reaching their destination. The edifice towered over them in its alabaster glory. Misaki marveled at the fact that this castle was over four hundred years old. They followed the path to the entrance of the tenshu. The entry hall was large and open and the smell of the old wood floors and walls reeked of centuries of history. She could picture Japanese Lords and their warriors sitting to eat together, surrounded by young maidens in kimonos, like she had seen in movies about the Sengoku period.

To the side there was a row of mannequins displaying antique armor of the different periods in the castle's history. They meandered over to them and Misaki had a small smile as a thought crossed her mind. She glanced over at Li to find him eyeing her curiously.

"Armor has come a long way," Misaki pointed out with a hint of a laugh. "Wouldn't you agree? This must be so awkward to maneuver in. After looking at this stuff, nothing beats a long lightweight bulletproof jacket."

Hei felt his face get a little warm. But the corner of his lips curled into a smirk as he tried to picture himself having to run around in warrior armor. Misaki turned to catch the look on his face, picturing the same thing. A laugh bubbled up from her chest.

"That would _so not_ work!" Misaki continued as she tried to stifle the mental picture.

There was so much to see. They had people acting out scenes in different rooms, like women performing tea service and warlords meeting with their warriors. They made their way to the top of the keep. The view was exquisite. You could see the hills and mountains to the east and south, and the Inland Sea off to the west, as the castle was situated at the top of a small mountain.

"The original tenshu, was five stories high. But it burnt down, from what I was told," Hei explained. "The top floor was always the Lord's chamber. Talk about a room with a view."

Hei had finally shaken off the tension from earlier. "Come on, you have to see the gardens. They're brilliant."

They wound their way back down to the main courtyard with the cherry trees. They headed of in another direction. The sign pointed down the path: "Ninomaru Garden." It wound down the hill a little ways from the foot of the castle. The path meandered through high shrubbery that hand been expertly manicured. The green walls ended and they entered the wide open space of the main gardens. The gardens had been planted into the remaining foundations of former buildings that had been a part of the castle hundreds of years before. In addition to the arboritum and all the flora, there were granite pools with koi and other fish swimming about. Hei paused a moment his whole demeanor shifting as he took in the calm energy of his surroundings. His hands were back in his pockets. Misaki once again took the opportunity to link her arm with his. He didn't even flinch, as if it didn't even faze him. _Is that a good sign or a bad one?_ She hoped it to be the former, as he seemed really relaxed. She noticed that his bit of anxiety was completely washed away by an almost Zen-like peace that was present there. Every one of the couple dozen people in the gardens seemed still and quiet. There were smiles and daydreams written all over peoples faces.

_No wonder he loves this place. How can you not be affected by the beauty of this park?_

They walked over a little wooden bridge that crossed a small stream into a deserted part of the park. It was mostly a grassy picnic-type area, but there was no one there yet. Hei plopped himself on the grass next to the stream and sat upright with his legs crossed.

Misaki looked at him curiously and asked, "You meditate? I never pegged you as the type."

"I wasn't the type three years ago. But when I started coming here, one of the priests from Isaniwa Shrine used to frequent here to do so. The day I met him, he told me I was troubled and that I could free myself through doing so."

"Has it helped?"

"What do you think? Of course it has. It doesn't solve all my problems, but it allows me to think clearly and calmly…When's the last time _you_ meditated?"

"I did yoga in college for a while. We had a meditation period beforehand. But that was nearly ten years ago," Misaki admitted.

"Well, just sit with me. I usually give myself about twenty minutes or so. Just don't speak a word. Let your mind go wherever it's going to go."

Misaki's shoulders slumped in resignation. _ If it works for him, I guess I could give it a try._ And with that, they were both silent. The only sounds floating through the air were the trickle of the stream and the songs of the birds. With her eyes closed, her other senses became keener. The scent of the flowers wafting to her nose seemed stronger. The sun on her skin seemed warmer, and the off-shore breeze more pronounced. She slipped into what felt like a dream-like state. Her mind wandered through many facets of her life as she let her heart and mind battle it out for supremacy. Only in the quiet of her mind could she be completely honest with herself. There was one thing that she focused on. Visions of what her heart wanted played through her mind like a movie reel. _But how do I get him to understand why I feel this way?_

Hei let the last twenty-four hours replay in his mind. He allowed the story to continue from this moment on in the general direction his heart was taking him. What he felt and saw in his mind's eye simultaneously energized and unnerved him, as the "what if" played out. Hei considered the idea of "fate". He had come to a very staunch conclusion three years ago. He wasn't about to go back on that self-imposed vow so easily. _But what if…_he continued to ponder.

She was drawn out of her head as the grass next to her rustled under Hei. Her eyes slowly opened and she felt like she was in slow motion for a moment. "Has it really been twenty minutes, Li?"

He nodded, "Twenty six, actually."

"Wow, time flies when you have a lot to sort out in your head, huh?"

He chuckled, "See? What did I tell you?"

He got up and extended his hand to her, helping her up with a swift motion to her feet. She lost her footing and fell into Li, who caught her with his chest. He wrapped his arms around her a moment and asked in a hushed tone, "Feel better?"

Misaki straightened up and looked at him, "Mmm-hmm."

"Then let's go get some daifuku," he said with a smile.


	7. Unwinding & Unraveling Part 2

**A little bit shorter than normal for my chapters. Still 2,800 words isn't meek, either. This is the continuation of the last chapter. Next one is gonna be interesting. Kanami gets a date! O.o (a thinly veiled excuse for Hei and Misaki to get some more private time awwww yeah. Don't worry it'll be worth the wait. I have done some looking into the happenings of the actual Matsuyama Matsuri (summer festival) watched videos and everything. pretty friggin rad. Did I mention I have to go there before I die? Bucket list #1. go to Japan...esp to Matsuyama-shi for the summer festival. Dammit. It's why I'm learning japanese. It's nearly 5:30 a.m. I hope the editing isn't too sloppy! **

**PLEASE let me know what you think, even if there is criticism. you don't grow unless you know! I HEART reviews. Arigato Gozaimasu!  
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Chapter 7: Unwinding and Unraveling (Pt.2)

Hei and Misaki sat at a small café style table at Kiri no Mori Kashikobo after having ordered tea and daifuku of various flavors at the counter. Misaki even got an order of red bean tempura fried ice cream to go with her various daifuku.

"Mrrmphumamphmerr," she tried to say something with her mouth full of rice pastry.

Hei just looked at her with a genuine, classically confused look. He saw some little bits of pastry fly past his face. Misaki had stuffed an entire strawberry daifuku in her face and she looked like a bit of a chipmunk. Hei completely lost it. He clenched his stomach, laughing.

Misaki had noticed the food fly from her mouth and immediately Li had burst in to laughter. She nearly choked as she realized how ridiculous she probably looked and sounded. He had tears in his eyes he was laughing so hard.

"I guess," he attempted to choke out, "I guess the daifuku's good, eh! Hah!"

His fit of laughter gave her a minute to chew as she tried to contain herself and swallow before joining in.

"Yes. Indeed it is!" She finally managed, giggling at both herself and Li.

"I have never in my life seen a woman eat like you. You eat like…a guy…or at least like a kid," Hei said wiping his eyes. "I can't remember the last time I laughed that hard. Seriously…It was like something out of a comedy."

He took a bite of his chocolate daifuku and Misaki smiled as she pushed the dish of fried ice cream toward him, urging him to share with her. "Red bean and chocolate go well together. Have some!"

She handed him her spoon, as they only had one at the table. He looked at it a moment.

"I'm not ill, and you have no problem kissing me the way you do, so just try it," she retorted.

He smirked at her reasoning and caved in, taking a big spoonful of ice cream and following it with a bite of his dessert. He nodded as he chewed and hummed in approval of the flavors mingling on his tongue.

Satisfied with her minute accomplishment of getting him to try something she liked, she grabbed her next piece of daifuku. For a moment she forgot who she was sitting with. He wasn't Hei, the Black Reaper, or Messier Code BK-201. She didn't fear him as the most powerful contractor in the world. He was Li Shengshun, a wonderfully complex person who she had been falling for over the course of these last four years. The last day or so had begun solidifying a place in her heart for him and there was no turning back from it. _I can't believe I haven't left his side for what? _She glanced at the clock. It was nearly three o'clock. _Seventeen hours, give or take._ When she did the math she was astonished. It was the longest time they'd ever spent together, and just felt so…comfortable.

Hei could see that she had drifted off into thought, as she had stopped stuffing the sweets into her face and stared at the table. "Are you all right, Misaki?"

She snapped out of it in a blush, blurting out her thought. "Seventeen hours."

He looked at her then looked at the same clock on the wall of the café. Hei couldn't help the meek smile that crept onto his face as he realized what that meant. He cleared his throat as he refused to say what was _truly_ on his mind. "How do you think Kanami-san is doing?"

"She probably has finally eaten something and is sweating off her hangover in the springs," she said matter-of-fact, paying no heed to his inference to her friend's needs.

"Do you need to get back or…" he prompted her.

"Let me give her a call and see what she's up to. If she had been at all concerned or getting antsy, she would have called me by now."

Misaki hit her speed dial and let it ring until she got Kanami's voice mail. She left her a quick "Hey, call me back," and hung up.

"She is most definitely in the hot spring. Either that, or she's too busy flirting with our bellhop, Michio-kun," she declared with a hint of sarcasm. "Li, do you have any acquaintances you could hook Kanami up with for a double date for dinner...Maybe a co-worker or regular patron, who you know is a half-way decent human being?"

Hei just laughed at her pointed tone. "Actually, there is someone I know who manages another restaurant here in town. I've covered random shifts for him in the back of house from time to time. I still go by and visit him on a regular basis. He's decent guy and I do believe he's unattached. Maybe he'd be interested in taking a night off before the festival."

Misaki smirked. Of course this person was associated with a restaurant of some kind. "Which restaurant does he manage?"

"The Dogo Brewery Restaurant, actually. It's right across from Dogo Onsen. He is a brew master…The best in town."

Misaki furrowed her brow, confused by his last comment. "How would you know that? I thought you didn't-?"

Li smirked a little. "I really don't drink. But I _have _taste-tested his beers with him in the past. I just don't drink often, and when I do, it's not much."

Misaki was still questioning him with her eyes, obviously surprised at his confession. So he explained further, "When Suo was with me, I was drinking all day, everyday. I was consumed by depression, refusing to deal with life anymore. Although I will always be saddened by it, I've reconciled the loss of Yin. I quit completely back then for Suo, and indirectly, for Yin, because I needed to snap out of it and get back on my game. I couldn't protect people if I was constantly inebriated. I don't use alcohol to escape my reality anymore. I don't feel the need to…besides…'everything in moderation', yes?"

Misaki nodded, understanding the idea of self-control.

They had finished their dessert and Hei stood up from his chair. "Let's go back up to Dogo Onsen for a little bit. You said Kanami will call you when she needs you, right? It's great for walking around and just enjoying the sights. And we can stop in at the Brew Pub and say talk to my friend, Daisuke. Besides, it's a little hectic here in the center of town for sight-seeing anything but the castle and gardens…unless you're shopping."

Misaki quickly agreed, "No, no shopping. I'm sure Kanami will be dragging me back down here for exactly that tomorrow. Let's get going, then!"

She got up and joined him as he held the door for her. Misaki wanted to melt at the little things he did that seemed so different from everything else she knew of him. She once again looped her arm through his and they hit a natural stride toward the streetcar stop.

They hopped on the tram at Okaido Station and made their way back up to Dogo Onsen. It being the middle of the day, they actually could sit in seats for the ride. Both of them had secretly hoped for another reason to be practically glued together; but their wishes were denied them this trip. Hei settled for Misaki leaning into him so they could be as close as appropriately possible in public. He leaned his head in toward her ear. "I don't know what that scent is that you wear, but it's _intoxicating_," he hummed, his low Reaper-esque tone sending a shiver down her spine. "It's been driving me crazy since last night."

The heat rising between them did not only show on their faces but was virtually palpable in the air between them. "I-It's called Haru no Sakura," she said tripping over her tongue. She smiled thinking about her initial assessment of it when she originally bought it. "A balance of fruit and floral, with a touch of a white musk…" Hei looked at her not understanding completely. "That's what the description said on the sign at the perfume counter. Oddly enough the first time I bought myself some was the day Kanami and I ran into you at the mall." She thought about that extremely awkward moment and giggled.

Hei knew exactly what day she was talking about, and cleared his throat. "Do you want to know really why I was buying that stuff? I bet it'll make a _whole _lot more sense."

She nodded, attentive and curious.

"I was actually helping someone smuggle a doll out of slavery. I couldn't deal with the idea that this living being was being treated as merchandise. This kid had kidnapped her, _stolen_ her, essentially. He kept telling me he loved her. I felt bad for the kid, and they were trying to get out of town. So I got her a disguise."

Understanding dawned on her face. "So, _that_ explains the wig," she said smiling. "Kanami and I were beginning to question your sexuality for a moment there."

They chuckled in unison before Hei added, "_That's_ why you asked if they were for me? Hah! That's hilarious."

He paused and looked slightly down ward at her, tilted his head to the side and just took in her features, and thought about as many moments that they shared, both the good and the more trying ones. That face before him now had looked at him in so many ways. It's looked back upon him with a plethora of emotions…ferocity, surprise, longing, happiness, embarrassment, desperation, fear, understanding, sympathy, determination, and now most recently, desire and, dare he consider the term, _love_…_Ahh, the many faces of Misaki Kirihara_…_All of them, beautiful._

Misaki sensed his evaluation and as a soft smile tugged at his lips, she knew she had nothing to worry about.

They arrived at Dogo Onsen station and headed down the street the few blocks toward the area where her hotel, the ancient hot spring, and the brew pub were. They approached the restaurant with large yellow letting that read 'Dogo Brewery and Restaurant'. They walked through the front doors to the hostess stand. The young woman greeted them, "Irasshaimase, to Dogo Brewery Rest—" Hei quickly interrupt her spiel.

"Is Daisuke in today?"

The hostess, who seemed a little new to the job, stammered, "H-hai. Who may I ask is here for him?"

"Tell him Li is here."

"Is it business?"

"No, just saying Hello, and maybe staying for a beer," he said with a smile. "I'm on a date."

Misaki blushed as the host hurried out back to fetch the manager. "Was that necessary?"

"Absolutely," Hei replied, "He's been trying to set me up with random girls since I met him. But I can never bring myself to date them. He'll be excited to hear I'm here with a lady friend."

As if right on cue, along came a typical Japanese man of above average stature, with well coiffed hair. "Li-san! Long time no see!" Daisuke shook Li's hand firmly. "Kiyoko told me you were here, and with a date!"

Daisuke smiled brightly as he took her hand and she shook it firmly, though he had gone to kiss it. He chuckled, "It seems my friend as met a woman whose strength matches her beauty! And you are?"

"Kirihara Misaki. Pleased to meet you," she said pleasantly.

"Kirihara-san, how long have you known my friend, Li, here?"

"About five years, though it had been a while since I've seen him."

Daisuke laughed, "Wonderful! Well, Every time I try to get this handsome devil out with me and a couple ladies, it never works out for him. If you are still hanging out with this picky bastard after five years, you're a keeper for sure!"

He landed a hearty slap on Hei's back, "Good job, Li!" He then leaned over to Misaki, "So you don't happen to have an equally strong and beautiful friend, eh?

Misaki coughed and laughed before replying, "Actually yes, I do. My friend, Kanami and I are here on vacation, and we were hoping to be shown a Matsuyama kind of night on the town! I know she's up for it. She's back at the hotel recovering from last night."

Daisuke smiled, "Sounds like fun to me, I am always up for getting out and meeting new people!" He went behind the bar and poured a dark beer in two snifter glasses. "This is Dogo's Imperial Stout: Ten percent, with hints of chocolate, coffee and oatmeal. Enjoy!"

He placed the glasses in front of them as they sat down at the bar.

"Arigatou gozaimasu!" Misaki replied politely.

"Iie, Kirihara-san! This is my pride and joy, and I love to share," Daisuke waved off her graceful acceptance. "So what is your friend's name, may I ask?"

"Kanami Ishizaki, former Head of Astronmics in Tokyo."

Daisuke raised a brow, "An intelligent woman, as well, I assume?"

Misaki nodded with a smile, turning to Li with a raise of her glass, "Indeed. Here's to having some fun this weekend. Kampai!"

She watched as the two men raised their glasses to hers.

"Kampai!"

Her eyes rested intently on Li as they all took a sip of the chocolaty colored brew. The stout hit her taste buds with a symphony of flavors that were earthy and spicy all at once. She watched as the once-sober Li actually partook of a beverage before her very eyes and overtly savored the flavor as much as she.

"Delicious, Daisuke. You are truly a master brewer," he complimented.

"You are always generous with your words, Li-san. But if you'll excuse me, I now have to take care of my managerial duties before dinner gets underway. I want to be able to enjoy dinner with you later on. Please accept my invitation and be here for eight o'clock to join me for dinner and drinks before heading out and about!"

"We'll be here Daisuke-san," Li replied with a smile as he took another sip.

"Ja ne!" He waved as he walked back toward the back of the house.

He left Li and Misaki to finish their drinks alone at the now empty bar as it was still a couple hours before the dinner rush. The restaurant was quiet, with just a few tables occupied by diners. They looked at each other and smiled, taking another sip of the tasty elixir.

"I'm not one for beer normally," Misaki stated, "but this is like a cup of coffee and beer had a baby. My goodness, this is tasty."

"Wait until you taste the food here, it's top-notch." Hei continued to admire Misaki's grace and tact. "Misaki…do you know how many faces you have?"

She was taken aback by the odd observation, and gave him a questioning look.

Hei took that cue to further explain what he meant. "I have seen you in your professional seriousness. There is passion, determination, ferocity, and strength."

Misaki blushed at his description as he continued on. "I have also seen your fear, surprise, sadness and desperation." Hei took her free hand in his. "As Li, I have had the privilege of seeing the softer side of that hard-edged officer: understanding, sympathy, happiness, relief…dare I say…longing."

"Li-kun…" she whispered as tears welled in her eyes. Hei continued on.

"But in the last couple of days now, since we have taken the time to be open and honest with each other, I see new things there in your eyes," he said as he reached out to touch her cheek softly. "The last time I saw those same things in someone's eyes were over ten years ago now."

Misaki's heart raced. She wanted so badly to speak her heart. "It's been a long time since I've felt anything like this…"

"Here's to new endeavors," Li raised his glass to her. She was unsure of how take those words, but rested assured that it wasn't a bad thing. She knew those thoughts would spoken in due time. She could tell that his lack of drinking was already getting to him. As the glass emptied, his face took on a deeper shade of red. But she felt it, too, as she finished her glass.

"Misaki, are you going to wear that amazing dress again tonight?" Hei asked abruptly.

Misaki giggled, thinking about all the shopping Kanami had made her do with her before their trip. "No, I have a few extra things in my suitcase."

Hei raised a brow, trying to imagine how she could even wear an outfit any hotter than she had the night before. _I guess I'll have to wait and see…_


	8. Words Unspoken

**My three favorite letters in writing romantic fiction: UST. Oh hell yes. PM me if you don't know. So I was originally going to have one giant chapter, but I got to page 10 in Word, and hit a moment that'd leave everyone wanting...no, NEEDING, the next installment ASAP. I will write more tomorrow night. But I am so excited about this chapter that I couldn't contain myself and HAD to post a cliffy. For the Love of KAMI, Review Kudasai! I need to know what you like and don't like! Now how the HELL am I supposed to sleep! Oh and lastly, If you've never taken the time to listen to the DTB OST1 it's up in it's entirety on Youtube. I made a playlist and had it on repeat while writing. Groovy.**

**ENJOY! ^_^ Love, Destinies Entwined  
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Chapter 8: Words Unspoken 

Misaki touched her lips with a shiver as she walked down the hall back to her room. Smiling to herself, she dwelled on what had transpired just moments prior.

Hei had walked with her into the hotel, and surprised her as they walked by the public phone alcove by pulling her with him out of sight of watchful eyes. Emboldened a bit by Daisuke's potent elixir, he had pressed her up against the nearest wall and smothered her with his lips as if he couldn't get close enough. She surprised herself, in retrospect, as she instinctively wrapped one leg around his hips, drawing him in tighter and drawing out of him a low groan.

He released her lips to feast upon her neck. Misaki gasped softly. Hei hummed against her sensitive flesh.

"Do you even _know_ what you do to me?" his voice was a deep rumble, causing her skin to prickle with goosebumps.

All she could do was whisper out to whatever deity would listen, as she grasped handfuls of his soft shaggy mane.

After another moment he reclaimed her lips for one final searing kiss. As he pulled away slightly, he searched her eyes for some kind of answer. His lips separated as he drew in a breath, as if there were words poised on them. The he paused and smiled sheepishly, "I'll see you at the restaurant at eight?"

Misaki exhaled and mirrored his smile, "Eight o'clock. I'm sure Kanami will be excited, too."

With one last brush of his lips against hers as he cupped her face, he turned and headed back toward the front doors.

_Kuso! Did that just really happen?_

She took a moment to collect herself and her cell rang. _ Hah…figures._

"I just got back. I'm down in the lobby."

"_Oh good! I just got back from a very therapeutic dip in the hot springs."_

"I'll be right up."

Misaki arrived at the suite door and let herself in to find Kanami seemingly back to normal, lounging on the futon in her robe.

Kanami raised her brow at her flushed friend. "And how was _your_ afternoon, Misaki-chan?"

"It was…" she flashed through the last six hours. "It was _wonderful_, Kanami," she said, a sigh escaping her lips.

Kanami's eyes widened at Misaki's confessing expression. "Misaki Kirihara, you are spilling it…_right now_. What the _hell_ is going on with you and Li?"

Misaki began with their breakfast excursion and Kanami laughed at the mental picture of those two pigging out together. But Misaki interrupted her, "I caught him watching me, Kanami. Those eyes…" her breath caught in her throat.

She drifted off for a moment until Kanami snapped her back to reality, "Earth to Kirihara! What else did you do?"

"Well, we went to his place so he could change before going-"

"Did you help him with that?" Kanami winked.

Misaki blushed furiously, "Absolutely _not._ You know me better than that! But…"

"But what…?" Kanami never hears anything juicy come out her tight-lipped friend's mouth.

"Well, first off, the guy's place is _immaculate, _bathroom and all. It's weird. I don't know many guys who are _that_ neat…but…Oi, Kanami…does it make me a pervert to look at his shower, and the _first_ thing to cross my mind is-"

"It just means you need to get _laid_. Misaki. Kuso! I've never seen you have the hots for _anyone _so bad. I mean really. You haven't had a serious boyfriend in nearly ten years. You may as well be a virgin."

Misaki's face got hot, not only was she flustered thinking about being intimate with Li, she was infuriated by her friend's chiding. _Time to change the subject!_

"_Anyway_, Kanami," she said through gritted teeth, silencing her nosy partner-in-crime, "We went to Matsuyama Castle, he showed me around. There are some beautiful scenic views. And the gardens are gorgeous. We sat and meditated for a while…it was so calm and relaxing there, just being with him…"

"Misaki?"

"What, Kanami?"

"You're in love with him. Certifiably head over heels."

"I…" she envisioned his embrace, his kiss, his touch. Just the way he spoke to her, looked at her and made her feel, it flashed in random moments in her mind's eye.

"You're right, Kanami," she conceded, gnawing on her bottom lip as she mustered up her courage. "I am in love with Li Shengshun."

The air hung thick in silence as Kanami's jaw hung open in shock when her stubborn friend willingly agreed with her assessment. Misaki's face turned from melancholy to bright with a smile as she laughed in relief, "Hah! Who'd have thought? Me…In _love_ with someone…And _admitting_ it to myself! I can't even tell you how many times we've kissed since last night…Holy hell, Kanami, I may just be losing my mind! Haha!"

Kanami shook her head and was about to get up to change when Misaki interrupted her, "By the way, we have a double date tonight. Li's friend, Daisuke is the manager and brew master at the Dogo Onsen Brewery and Restaurant down the street."

"You sneaky bitch!" Kanami laughed. "For once _you_ are trying to hook _me_ up. I hope you two know what you're doing."

"Hey now, Li's a great judge of character. I trust him. If he tells me Daisuke's a decent guy, I believe him. Besides, I met him earlier. He was very pleasant, handsome, and the man can make a damn good beer," Misaki added with a nudge of Kanami's arm.

"You said he's 'handsome'? So he's older? Like, _how_ old?

"I'd say mid-thirties, nice hair and about the same height as Li, a little broader in the shoulders and chest, with a warm smile."

Kanami eyed Misaki and nodded, "All right. You sold me."

"And we are going to the restaurant for dinner and drinks with the guys, then, Daisuke supposedly knows of some classy places to go."

"So this guy has some money, I assume?"

Misaki nodded, "He definitely seems to carry himself that way, and if he is the best brew master in town, I'm sure he's well-known."

Kanami's eyes sparkled at the thought of a date with a local celebrity. She immediately jumped up and headed over to her dresses hanging in the little closet, "Damn, now _what _to _wear_, then?"

O.o ^_^ o.O ^_^ O.o ^_^ o.O

It was seven forty-five and two beautiful and intelligent women walked into the lobby, long legs extending from the shorter length of their dresses. Kanami paused as they stepped out of the elevator double checking the purple clutch that matched her cocktail dress that swooped over one shoulder, layered purple chiffon accented by silvery beading along the waistline, the dress stopping a couple inches above her knees. Her silver strappy pumps glinted in the light of the lobby as she dug through the clutch make sure she had her travel vile of her favorite designer perfume. Misaki ducked over to the nearest mirror to take one last look at herself to double-check her hair and make sure she hadn't accidentally smudged her make up. She felt practically naked in this dress, due to the incredibly light, satin scarf-like material of her exotic dress. The cut was unlike anything she had let herself wear before. She had argued with Kanami about it at the mall that day they went shopping…

"_It's totally sexy, Misaki, yet classy and feminine at the same time," Kanami had said to her, trying to convince her of her beauty._

"_But I feel so naked! I can't even wear a bra with this! What if it's cold in the air conditioning? That'd be so embarrassing!" Misaki argued as she smoothed her hands over the thin, black, silver and white Indian-style patterned silk. The neck line was a shallow angular sweetheart neck line with thin spaghetti straps._

_Kanami laughed at her self-conscious rebuttal and attempted to assuage her with more flattery. "The hem line of that dress is sexy, too. I love how it's longer on the sides and it makes a 'V' up to the middle of your thighs! Pretty chic!"_

"_Oh yeah, Kanami, it's all the better to draw extra attention to my crotch, right?" Misaki was laying on the sarcasm thick, trying to talk herself out of secretly agreeing with her friend at how attractive she felt in the dress._

"_I am never going to forgive myself if it turns out to be a creep magnet of a dress." She thought to herself._

Kanami had won many battles concerning her fashion sense that day. Misaki recalled that moment as she assessed Kanami's up-do skill in the mirror.

"Kanami, I got to hand it to you. You do amazing hair."

The sexy former astronomics director laughed, "Well, I know what I can do if I ever need a back-up plan for my career!"

Misaki's hair was organized chaotically on the top of her head, with a mess of tendrils falling gently all over, that Kanami had taken her curling iron to. Her neck was exposed, yet it flirted through the wispy curls thinly veiling it.

"Found it!" Kanami declared as she held up the little vile, dabbing it at her wrists. Misaki decided to the same and, with a smirk, put on a quick final spray of the perfume she knew would drive Li a little crazy. She adjusted the straps of her sling back black heels. _Why do I ever bother wearing shoes like these?_

They turned to head out the door and caught Michio gawking at them. Kanami waved with a wink and blew him a kiss. He instantly panicked and turned and hustled in the other direction, suddenly a deep shade of pink.

Misaki just shook her head as she opened the lobby door and held it for her friend.

O.o ^_^ o.O ^_^ O.o ^_^ o.O

Hei stepped out of the shower and wrapped the towel around his waist. The buzz had worn off and he spent some time sitting in his dimly lit apartment, letting some relaxing jazz piano play on the college radio station as he pondered his feelings for Misaki. He recalled the first time he laid eyes on her and recognized her…

Hei was in the hotel with the caterers laying out fresh fruit and cheese platters and he had turned to place an empty tray on the cart when the door opened and there walked in the lady of the hour, Alice Wang with…

_The cop? She's friends with Qing Long Tang's daughter?_

He paused a moment, suddenly wanting to etch her into his memory, from the little buns on top of her head, to the dainty feet at the end of those amazingly long, slender legs. He watched her as she awkwardly made her way around the room.

_Doesn't she usually wear glasses? She looks so much better without them…_

Hei's thoughts were interrupted by the loud growl from his stomach, causing Misaki to look his way and catch his eyes for a fleeting and embarrassing moment. The catering manager quickly came over and he got shooed out back to wash dishes with Saito, who he had a sneaking suspicion was, an undercover cop.

Still relaxing to the jazz hour on the radio, he stretched out on his futon, still in his towel, with the open windows ushering in the sounds of Matsuyama rush hour.

_Saito was so right. She's scary when she wants to be…but so am I. _

Hei smiled to himself, he knew there were so many reasons to put the chase behind him. He now understood, and believed her, that, especially since she figured out who he was, it was all a misunderstanding on his part.

_I can't believe she was right under my nose._

Hei recalled the instantaneous differences between Misaki's interactions with Li, and with the Black Reaper. He could never bring himself to harm her. He had always known instinctually that she was a genuinely good person. They both wanted justice, but at the time she didn't know how over her head she had been. Until that talk they had over the hibachi dinner. He couldn't believe how much he alluded to, essentially admitting to understanding the inner workings of warring organizations, and to knowing what it was like to be a pawn. They shared that and it scared him.

_But it didn't keep me from saving her life._

He recalled that moment that he looked over the rubble of the Saturn system to find Horai with Misaki in his grasp. It made his blood boil more so than usual and he simply reacted.

_I can't believe she called out my name. It felt so strange to have someone like her know who I am. Kami, how badly I wanted to turn around and take her with me. But it just couldn't have happened. But now…_

He got up and went back into the bathroom, feeling a little antsy. He decided to shave the little bit of scruff that had formed since the night before.

_Amber made me feel like this, back then…I loved her then. Before she betrayed me…or so I had thought._

Hei exhaled as he shaved quickly. There was something different about these emotions he had now. He still found his mind over-thinking this instinctive trust. He knew it was just the ingrained paranoia…or was that even the real issue? There was something else and he was having a hard time putting a finger on it. Until suddenly he pictured Misaki getting on that plane back to Tokyo on Sunday, and his heart began to ache.

_Will I…miss her? _

He shook his head of the thought, but it continued to linger as his mind raced with what-ifs. _Could we ever actually be together? I know she wants to keep fighting for our cause. I don't know if I can…can I?_

He splashed a little aftershave on and dropped the towel in exchange for his boxers, and draped his towel over the shower door.

_I haven't even used my power in nearly three years; I can't let myself get put back on the map again. Not without good reason. _

He looked back at his sullen face in the mirror, and touched his cheek as he thought of Misaki hand there instead of his. When she smiled at him, all his worries dissipated. He felt like Li when he was with her, not Hei, the wanted criminal contractor.

_Misaki knows who I am, and she is not afraid. She really has some courage. Or maybe she's just as stubborn as I think she is. But…she really does want…me…_

A shiver ran up his spine as he entered his room to finish changing. A flash of warm naked flesh crossed his mind as he looked at his bed. It had been nearly ten years since he and Amber had last been together. He was only in his late teens then. _I have really got to calm down. I'm letting my mind get ahead of me._

But there was something almost taboo about them wanting to be with each other. The cop and the criminal, the human and the contractor…intense and serious, emotional and stifled…it made so much sense to him. It lighted a primal urge within him to want to turn the chase onto her. But every time emotions came into play, he choked. His chest felt tight with words bubbling up from his subconscious that he refused to make real by saying them aloud.

He finished dressing, putting on his short-sleeved light gray dress shirt, his charcoal slacks and the matching jacket that he hadn't donned the night before. Knowing Daisuke, he would very well be taking them somewhere exclusive that required a jacket. He went to his dresser and grabbed a wad of cash. _ Misaki better let me be a gracious date tonight._

He chuckled lightly to himself knowing she'd probably put up a fight. As he envisioned her politely stubborn reaction he could wipe the satisfied smile off his face, until he looked up into the mirror and caught his reflection. His face froze into a look of bewilderment. He couldn't remember the last time he'd seen his own smile. He knew it was all because of her.

_I couldn't be…could I?_

He slipped on his black dress shoes and walked out the door, locking it behind him.

O.o ^_^ o.O ^_^ O.o ^_^ o.O

It was just before eight when Kanami and Misaki arrived at the Brewpub. Misaki scanned the room and saw Li sitting at the bar, his back to them as he chatted with the bartender. She knew that dark shaggy head of hair anywhere, considering how many times she'd seen the back of his head. Misaki took the lead and headed over to him.

Li heard the confident stride of a woman in heels approaching and _knew_ it was her. He smiled to himself and turned to greet them. But the words caught in his throat as Misaki stood before him. His mouth hung slightly agape, stunned speechless. Misaki blushed and giggled, knowing she had just figuratively 'shocked' the Black Reaper himself completely speechless. _I guess this dress was a good choice after all…_

Li stood and before even recognized Kanami's presence he kissed Misaki on the cheek and spoke softly into her ear, "You, Misaki Kirihara, are more beautiful than the night sky."

Misaki's knees nearly gave out from underneath her at his words, but he steadied her in his arms. She smiled and said softly as for Kanami not to hear, "And you take my breath away." She giggled again as a thought came to her, "And knock me off me feet, apparently."

He chuckled and looked over her shoulder to see Kanami with a sly grin on her face and a raised brow. _She must know something. She's giving me that look._ "Konbanwa, Kanami-san. Glad to see you standing steadily on two feet this evening."

Kanami laughed, "Yeah, well tonight I'll eat a solid dinner and pace myself. I do intend on _not_ getting carried home tonight."

The three of them laughed recalling Kanami's early retirement the night before.

"So Li…where is this friend of yours? Is he still working?"

Li shrugged. "I'm not sure, but he told us to meet him here for-"

"Li-san! Kirihara-san! Sorry for the delay!"

Kanami caught his eye. Daisuke seemed about thirty-five, his hair was thick and currently a bit spiky. As Misaki had accurately assessed, he was about the same stature as Li, only a little broader. _Definitely attractive! _

Kanami leaned over to Misaki, "Good choice! He's already making a good impression."

Misaki smiled as Kanami winked at her.

Daisuke approached the three of them, his eyes finding Kanami and widening ever so slightly, with just a hint of a sparkle. "And _this_…must be the lovely and intelligent scientist I have heard about!"

He took her hand genteelly and bowed slightly, introducing himself. "Daisuke Minakuchi."

"Kanami Ishizaki," she stated bowing with a smile in return, "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Ah, but the pleasure is all mine, Ishizaki-san."

Kanami blushed as Daisuke offer his arm. "Shall we go over to the Amber Room to our table?"

They nodded and followed Daisuke towards the back of the restaurant. Li gave Misaki a knowing side glance, "This ought to be an interesting evening. I can tell he approves, and he doesn't approve of just anyone. We're eating in the Amber Room. You see, there are three rooms in the restaurant: The Black Room which is the main room with the bar; The Red Room is for Private Functions, or Black Room overflow if there's no party that night, which is rare…then there's the Amber Room. It's VIP. The more distinguished patrons eat in there, as well as the owners/managers and their family and friends."

"That's right," Misaki recalled, "you've worked here before."

Li nodded, "This is a treat, because the service is immaculate, and we have a more extensive menu that is only available to Amber Room guests. Don't be surprised if Daisuke goes a little crazy showing off his beers and cuisine. He's just really proud of the family business and their success."

They walked through a set of Shoji doors into a lavish room decked out in golds and browns. The server shut the doors behind them and led them to the table in the far corner. It was a big comfy horseshoe-shaped booth in soft brown leather. That would comfortably seat six adults. Li and Daisuke stood on opposite sides of the booth, allowing the ladies to slide in first and sit next to each other and their respective dates.

Before sitting Daisuke excused himself, "Please allow me a moment to say hello to some old acquaintances before we begin dinner." He went over to a large booth that was occupied across the room to speak with them briefly; and after sharing a few laughs, promptly excused himself from their company.

A young lady in black pants and white dress shirt approached them, "Konbanwa, Minakuchi-san."

"Everyone, this is Rieko-san. These lovely ladies are Ishizaki-san and Kirihara-san, and of course you remember my friend Li-san who has helped me out here on occasion."

"Of course, it is my pleasure to serve you," she replied with a bow.

"Four sets of flights, please, Rieko-san, and four tai-meshi to start," he ordered.

"Hai!" With that the waitress was off.

"Tai-meshi, eh?" Kanami asked. "I know that some of the best sashimi is from this area. Fresh Uwajima fish! Oishii!"

"I see you have some culinary prowess, Ishizaki-san."

Daisuke and Kanami quickly entered a lengthy conversation about Japanese gourmet cuisine and dining.

While they were distracted, Misaki turned to Li and smiled, "That's a good sign. They both see to be the chatty type, so I'm sure they won't run out of things to talk about."

Li hummed in agreement, "And that'll give us some more of our own time."

He leaned in as if he was going to whisper something to her, and brushed past her ear to place a kiss on her neck, just past her ear at her hairline. Misaki's eyes rolled into the back of her head as her eyelids suddenly felt incredibly heavy. _How does he know to push that button? _

Hei breathed in that lovely scent as his lips connected with her skin for those brief seconds. Pulling away he took a moment to just look into her eyes that were dark with passion. Softly his fingers traced her lips, and for the second time felt he had words on the tip of his tongue for the woman before him. There was an unknown fear with its hand holding his tongue. But now was not the time for intimate words anyway. Hei smiled at her with a promise in his eyes of things to come.


	9. The Cup Runneth Over

If you are under age, or not keen on Citrusy Goodness. Then avoid this chapter, and you get the hint.

**There, now that's out of the way...**

**I was inspired by a few different songs while writing this chapter. So here's some extracurricular for you all! **

**Check out: "In a Sentimental Mood" by Duke Ellington; "You Again" by Kate Havnevik; "Crowded Elevator" by Incubus and "Sakura Drops" by Utada Hikaru.**

**Considering I just officially wrote a 7,300 word chapter (twice as long as my average chapters). Do me a solid and humor me by understanding where it's all coming from.**

**Get your fans ready and your cold showers running, cause, hell, I need one after WRITING this one. Nevermind reading it. **

**This goes out to all of you who have been following this story. It's what you've been waiting for. Take your time and please don't skim through. The build to the end is SO EFFING WORTH it!**

**ENJOY!  
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Chapter 9: The Cup Runneth Over

Misaki couldn't clearly decipher the softness in his usually dark and somber eyes. But she knew that there were feelings left unspoken. She knew what was holding her back from saying to him the words she had finally manifested in the privacy of her hotel room to her best friend. She argued with herself as to whether those words would make a difference. Misaki knew, however, that what she wanted more than anything else in her life at this very moment was for Li to want to come back to Tokyo with her and become her partner in every way possible.

_If only he would feel confident about his destiny and trust me that our organization is trying to do exactly what he and I both had originally set out to do: To rid society of injustice, blind to the prominent racism of our time. _

She pictured herself with him and Mao, working together out on the streets. Her mind drifted to the idea of them coming home to her apartment, and he would make his home with her. She would love nothing more than to feel those muscular arms wrapped around her every night.

_Can he ever get over his past enough to truly let me in? And share a life standing up for a world in which we can be together? If I told him I was in love with him, would he just disappear from my life once more?_

Misaki swallowed hard and rested her hand on his thigh reassuringly. Li exhaled slowly, releasing the building tension inside him and placed his hand over hers.

"Here we are, Minakuchi-san," the waitress interrupted the two interactions transpiring at the table as she entered with a rather large tray with four half-meter long planks with indentations that secured five separate small tumblers filled with beers of varying colors. As she set down the flights before each of them, another young server followed behind her carrying a smaller tray with appetizer size servings of what looked like yellowtail over rice with diced leeks and other greens and herbs.

They all placed the cloth napkins in their laps as Daisuke began to explain the different types of beers in front of them. "The very pale beer on the right is our version of an American pilsner: Easy to drink, very crisp. But ours has a drier and more floral taste than the average."

He took he glass and raised it towards the other three, "To new friends…Kampai!"

They cheered and sipped happily before starting in on their tai-meshi. Kanami was the first to finish a mouthful with a hum of delight, "Oishii desu yo!"

"You're absolutely right, this is some of the most delicious fish I've ever had," Misaki agreed with a smile.

"Dead on, as usual, Daisuke-san. Who's the sushi chef, tonight, Tanaka-san?" Li asked.

"But of course! He is our best."

After a few minutes of wordless chewing and swallowing, Daisuke looked to see if everyone else had finished their pilsner. Li was the only one left with a bit still in his glass.

"Come on, Li-san. I know you're not much of a drinker, but there are four more beers to sample before dinner is over."

Li grimaced a little after realizing that even Kanami and Misaki were ready to move on to the next tasting. He took a breath and slugged back the last of the glass.

Daisuke gave another order for the next course. This course was the Unagi, grilled eel with fresh vegetables. Daisuke introduced a Belgian-style ale that had citrus notes and was quite tart and effervescent.

"Now _this_, I am a fan of," Kanami declared. "I could drink this all night."

As dinner wore on, Misaki and Hei began to feel a tinge of the effect of the Imperial brews Daisuke had imposed upon them, which had double the alcohol percentage of normal beer. They tried a different one with each course, dining seemingly like royalty. There were five courses, one more than the usual four, and one had not been the common starter of soup. Daisuke, knowing Li, had brought him doubles of each course.

Misaki had quite enjoyed the brown ale and souki, a stewed pork dish. Hei wolfed down every last bite of each plate, but had declared the chicken yakitori his favorite with the stout they had sampled earlier that day.

It had been a leisurely hour and a half or so, and they all laid back into the booth, stuffed to the brim. Finally, Rieko came out with a large tray of various dessert cakes and dumplings, along with a bottle of chilled sake.

"Oi, Daisuke-san, Misaki will have to carry _me_ out of here if I don't take it easy on the sake," Li said with a slightly inebriated chuckle.

The others laughed at the mental image along the lines of Misaki having Li slung over her shoulder in her heels.

"Yeah, not in _these_ shoes, I'm not!" She retorted. "Just have a little with dessert, though. There's something about the complimentary flavors that Daisuke mentioned earlier. A beverage that compliments the course…he's absolutely right."

"This place wouldn't be as successful as it is if it were for my talent in the family business," Daisuke reassured his company.

It was just approaching ten o'clock when they had given themselves enough time to start digesting, and had washed their dessert down with the now empty bottle of sake. Most of the emptying had been done by Daisuke and Kanami, who were now apparently on a first name basis with honorifics.

"Phew, I'm feeling it a little in my head," Misaki confessed, "Sake is a sneaky thing."

"That's why I tend to avoid it," Li agreed, "but it _is_ tasty. It's definitely a treat to have the good stuff."

They were all smiles and laughs as they got up to leave. Li knew that Daisuke would not let them pay for the meal, so he summoned Rieko over and handed her quite the generous tip. Rieko just stared at the amount of yen in her hand and her eyes widened.

"Arigatou Gozaimasu, Li-san," she bowed, blushing.

"No, Rieko-san, thank _you_ and take care, okay?"

They turned and left the room heading toward the front door. Daisuke gave some last minute direction to his head of staff and lead them out onto the bustling Dogo Onsen streets. Kanami went to light up a cigarette and there was a lighter in her face before hers got there.

"A fellow smoker, eh, Kanami-san?" Daisuke asked as she lit her smoke from his fire. "Do you enjoy cigars?"

He grabbed his pack from his jacket pocket and also lit up. Kanami nodded, "Absolutely!"

Suddenly there was a fit of coughing coming from behind them. Misaki and Li were down wind, and though he was used to people smoking around him, like Huang, Misaki had no tolerance of secondhand smoke.

"Do you mind if we walk in front of you while you two smoke?"

"Not at all, Kirihara-san," Daisuke replied, gesturing graciously to Li and Misaki to precede them.

"So, where are we taking the ladies, Daisuke-san?" Li asked wanting to know which direction they should start heading in.

"I think Roppongi would be a good choice; it's chic, relaxing and they usually have a good jazz quartet playing on Friday nights."

"Sounds good to me, you know I love jazz," Li agreed with a smile. He turned to Misaki, "Do you two like jazz?"

"Sure, my grandparents really got into it when the Americans brought it here back in their time," Misaki explained, reminiscing to her childhood. She had grown up hearing it every time she visited with them as a child.

"How about you, Kanami-san?" Daisuke eyed his companion.

"Well, I am not well-educated in the art of jazz, but I am open to anything."

"Well then, Roppongi it is! We'll need to head down to the station and catch the next streetcar. It's down on the south side of the castle."

Li gave a knowing nod, as he had been there before with Daisuke to listen to the array of talented musicians.

The trolleys were filling up with club-goers and the quartet managed to find a few of the last remaining seats in the car. With good conversation ongoing, the ride was seemingly shorter than usual.

They arrived at Okaido and headed to the club. There was a sizable line outside of men in suit jackets and women in classy nightwear. Daisuke ignored the line and headed straight for the doorman.

"Konbanwa, Hiroshi-san!" He exclaimed with a pat on the man's back.

Hiroshi looked up at him from examining the line before him and smiled, "Minakuchi-san! It's good to see you again! I see you are in good company!" He turned to Li. "And how are you, Li-san! I haven't seen _you_ in months!" They all bowed to each other.

"You're in luck," Hiroshi declared, "There was a party for a VIP table that cancelled just a short while ago, right down in front by the stage. You are welcome to it."

"Good man," Daisuke grinned, handing him a fold of yen, "Thank you for your hospitality. Come see me for a beer some evening before work."

"Indeed!" Hiroshi waved as they entered the bar, "Enjoy!"

They passed the bar and a few servers, all of them greeting Daisuke as the four of them made their way to the lone empty table down towards the back of the club. The musicians, a pianist, a tenor sax player, an upright bass player and a drummer, were all just tuning and warming up, getting ready to start their set.

No sooner had they sat down; their cocktail waitress came over to them and greeted them. "What do I have the pleasure of bringing you this evening?" she asked.

Daisuke once again took the reigns and ordered. "Nikka Taketsuru 21. Bottle, kudasai."

"Hai," she replied with a smile.

"Daisuke, you're pulling out the big guns tonight, aren't you?" Li jested. "I am going to end up being as hung-over as the _last_ time I came here with you!"

Misaki raised a brow. Li caught it and stuttered as he attempted to explain himself, "You, uh, don't understand. Nikka is a very potent top-shelf _whiskey._ And I don't drink much. I'm going to have to watch it, or I'll be passing out on your futon again."

Misaki blushed. It wasn't like she would mind his company to last another night, but she knew he had to work tomorrow.

Kanami seemed excited. "I've had Nikka from the Barrel before, 12-year, but never the Taketsuru 21. You are so gracious, Daisuke-san."

"Anything for a lovely intellectual such as yourself, Kanami-san."

Misaki glanced back over at Li with a roll of her eyes.

Li leaned in to whisper to her, "Hey, she seems to know a lot about the things he likes. And she's an attractive woman, _and_ the former head of Astronomics. That would be considered powerful to him. Beside, he seems to genuinely enjoy her company."

"What about a Tokyo Police Chief turned secret agent?" she whispered back at him with a cocky smile. "Is _that_ considered powerful, too?"

That stuck a chord in him and it went straight to places that Hei had been trying to keep quiet all night. "You better _believe_ it," he said in a low growl, taking her earlobe gently between his teeth and grazing it before pulling away.

Misaki held her breath as her eyes widened at him, "I swear if you keep doing that…"

"If I keep doing that, what?" He replied slyly.

The waitress returned and presented the unopened bottle to Daisuke, showing him the front and back labels and placed it on the table, followed by four snifters and a small bucket of ice with tongs. She laid out four cocktail napkins next to the glasses and asked if they needed anything else.

"We're fine for now. Check back in a half hour, we may want appetizers by then," Daisuke directed the waitress. She bowed and departed to continue her rounds.

"Or maybe some water," Li commented. "I swear this stuff gets me every time he orders it, even when I try to pace myself. This guy is the king of refilling your glass when you're not looking."

Daisuke laughed, "All in the name of enjoying oneself and letting loose!"

The musicians introduced themselves as the Kuro no Tsuru Quartet.

"The Black Crane Quartet, eh?" Misaki noted, "How phenomenally ominous."

They introduced their first tune as one by American bassist Charles Mingus. It was an upbeat tune that had hooks, but didn't quite seem to follow a traditional key. For a while they all sat quietly, merely admiring their technical prowess and soaking in the intimacy of their surroundings as they casually sipped on their warm, toasted caramel-noted Nikka.

Misaki relaxed and leaned into Li and he took the cue to wrap his arm around her shoulders, securing her there against him. Considering the few beers, the sake and now a potent whisky they had been drinking, both were feeling unusually comfortable and even a little braver than normal. They both knew that public display of affection was considered disrespectful, and that actions like holding hands and his arm around her were flirting with societal limits. But in this moment they didn't care much. They were so wrapped up in their own little universe, enraptured by the soothing sounds that danced upon their ears, that they paid no heed to Kanami and Daisuke's chatter.

"I'm sure they don't care if we're not paying any attention to them," Misaki said aloud, as if reading his mind.

"Mmm-hmm." Li's eyes shut as he let his ears tune into the band.

As they finished the tune, they announced the next song, "This next one is a classic Duke Ellington tune made famous by John Coltrane. This goes out to all the couples we can see that are here tonight. This is 'In a Sentimental Mood'."

The song started with a piano solo, the man's fingers dancing over the keys as intimately as they would with a lover's touch. Then the sax came in with the haunting melody, adding subtle ornamentation. And on the next phrase the rhythm section joined in. On the expanse of open floor nearby, random couples began to step up and start dancing together, some their age, but many of them a generation older.

Hei caught them out of the corner of his eye and a little voice began to nag him from the back of his mind. Misaki was so enamored with the men on stage's performance, that she hadn't noticed the couples dancing yet. This was the perfect chance to feel close to her, moving in rhythm together, and he ached to say something.

So he released her shoulder, causing her to look his way as he went to stand and she leaned away, allowing him to do so. With hand extended, he wordlessly asked her to dance. Misaki blushed and put her had in his and stood to follow him over to the growing crowd of content couples. Daisuke and Kanami looked on with smiles. Kanami turned to Daisuke, "You know. They met about five years ago and really made an impression on each other. But then they didn't see each other for years…and now…that woman is totally in _love._"

Li stopped upon arriving on the dance floor and pulled Misaki gently into him and began swaying to the rhythm. She leaned into him and followed, letting her eyes slide shut as she laid her head against his shoulder. His heart was pounding in his chest as he'd never danced with a woman like this before…at least, not with one that made him feel this way. He secretly wished for the moment to never end.

_This can't be happening…She makes me want the kind of things I've never allowed myself to want. Everything about her sets me on fire. It's like I'm eighteen all over again, but…it's better than that. Two days with this woman and she has consumed my every waking thought. Is this what I think it is?_

He stroked her back gently, his eyes closed and just relishing the close contact, not even noticing two pairs of eyes on them the whole time. Daisuke replied to Kanami, "I think the feeling is mutual. I've never seen him like this, in my two years of knowing him."

Misaki just breathed him in, his musky, spicy scent. It made her simply want to rip his clothes off right there. Her body flooded with the warmth of desire. _Can this night please never end? Being so close and wanting to just tell him everything… it's torture._

The music ended with a soft and graceful cadence. They paused a moment and looked at each other. Li just gave her a knowing look and a hint of a nod.

"Can we talk later?" He asked ever so calmly.

Misaki inhaled deeply and exhaled ever so slowly, "Alright."

They headed back over to the table where Daisuke and Kanami watched their every move with devious grins. Daisuke just shook his head, "_Kuso!_ I can cut that tension with a knife!" He laughed as their faces instantly flushed ten shades of pink. "Seriously, let's finish our drinks and watch the rest of the set. Then I have a fun little place I'd like to take Kanami-san, but I have a feeling it's not your taste. So you two go do your own thing, and we can always meet up later or something, eh?" Li gave Daisuke a questioning look.

"It's alright," Daisuke assure him. "Kanami and I are having a great time of our own accord. There are other places to hit up while the night is still young."

Misaki stumbled over herself, exposed by a total stranger, "A-are you sure you'll be all right, Kanami?"

"Absolutely! Daisuke and I planned on going to the cigar lounge down the street. Considering you and Li don't smoke, you guys can take some time for yourselves."

Li look dumbfounded at them, as Misaki eased into a sheepish grin. "Okay, then." Li conceded, "Let's relax a little longer, and then they can go do their cigar thing."

Misaki agreed with a nod and went to excuse herself, "Where's the ladies' room here?"

Daisuke pointed to the right of the stage, toward a hallway, "Restrooms are down that hall."

"Thank you." And she was off in a noticeable hurry.

They both looked at Li, who looked like a deer caught in the headlights. Daisuke laughed, "How come you never told me about Misaki-san before? She is absolutely amazing! You guys really have something there."

"Y-yeah," he admitted his face feverishly warm, "Well, we have a lot to discuss."

"I bet you do," Kanami retorted. "I just need to know, are you going back to the hotel or back to your place?"

"Eh?" Li pretended not to understand the question.

"Oh come off it! I don't want to stumble in drunk and be interrupting anything," she chided taking another sip of her drink.

"Alright then, I'll see if Misaki wants to stay with me tonight, if not, I'll bring her back later."

Hei couldn't believe all the things he found himself inferring. _What the hell am I saying? They can see right through me. I, the once fearless Black Reaper, am letting my feelings for a woman completely overwhelm me. I have got to pull myself together._

It had been a few minutes and Kanami was wondering why Misaki wasn't back yet.

"I'm going to make sure she's alright," Kanami stated as she got up to head to the restroom.

Kanami found Misaki sitting in an arm chair in the ladies' room lounge with a wet paper towel on her forehead. "There you are, Misaki. What's going on? You're panicking, aren't you?"

"No, I was just getting…overheated."

"And you're a bad liar. You're going to explode if you don't just stick your neck out and say something."

"I know…" Misaki peeled the towel from her head and looked up at her best friend, "I'm scared to _death_ that he won't reciprocate my feelings."

"Are you _blind?_ If you could have seen the look on his face when he was dancing with you…he looked like a teenager at a school dance, sweet and awkward…holding back, but completely smitten."

"But you don't even understand how _complicated_ it all is…"

"What's so complicated? Is he here illegally? Is he a fugitive? Does he have a wife and kids back home in China?"

"N-no…I can't tell you right now. I promised him…a long time ago."

"Oh, whoa. So there's something you know that you never dished to me for Li's sake? That's _huge_. You _never_ keep secrets from me. You really _have_ been in love with him this whole time!"

Kanami's revelation hit her like a ton of bricks. She got out the chair and Kanami began to shoo her out the bathroom door, "Go! Go and tell him. Whatever you do, do _not_ come back to the hotel tonight! Do you hear me? I'll be mad at you if you do!"

Misaki quickly made her way back to the table and threw back the couple of shots worth of whisky in her snifter in one gulp. Li just gawked at her sudden action. Misaki pushed her glass toward Daisuke, "Just a touch more, if you will, and I'll be all set."

Daisuke happily obliged, sensing Misaki's nervousness. Li knew something was up and rested his hand on her shoulder. "Misaki…relax, please?"

She looked up to him, his eyes pleaded with her. She exhaled and mumbled to Li, "Sorry, Li. I'm a little anxious right now."

"Me, too. But let's just stay a little longer and then we have the rest of the night to ourselves."

And without another word, Misaki sighed and leaned back into Li, his arm returning to its former place around her shoulders, letting the music take them to a place all their own.

Kanami and Daisuke eyed them a moment, as he poured more of the tawny liquor into Li's snifter while he wasn't looking and quickly resumed their conversation with a clink of their glasses, knowing they were accomplishing both a happiness for their friends and also for themselves.

About a half hour later, the quartet took a break. Li released Misaki from his arm gently, snapping her out of her reverie. "Excuse me moment," he said as he got up to go over and praise the musicians for their talents.

The bottle was empty and Misaki and Li had helped finish it in the last few songs. That warm, heady whisky buzz washed over them all and Kanami was in a fit of giggles at something Daisuke had said. They collected their belongings, paid and thanked their cocktail waitress, and headed out the door.

Kanami was on Daisuke's arm, a bit pink in the face, as the two couples faced each other.

Li cleared his throat, "This has been a wonderful evening, Daisuke-san. You were a gracious host. I hope next time you'll let us treat you."

"Well, I was thinking Friday night would be a wonder time to join in the festivities and revel till the wee hours of the morning, what do you say, Li?"

"I work till ten o'clock, but absolutely. I'm a night owl. Maybe the ladies would like to join us…?"

Kanami giggled and Misaki blushed. "I don't think either of us would have a problem with that," Kanami replied slightly slurring some of her words.

"Wonderful!" Daisuke replied. "Well, Kanami and I have some cigars to go smoke. You two have a delightful evening. Oyasumi nasai!"

Li and Misaki waved and turned toward Okaido station. They were quiet a minute or two as they walked, arm in arm. The air hung thick with hidden words and feelings. They both headed toward the proper connecting tram headed north instead of west, both knowing where they were headed, no explanation needed.

The tram was standing room only and Hei took the opportunity to take a hold of Misaki's waist once again as they took the ride up to Shimizumachi. Misaki's heart raced. She tried to resolve herself to just speak her heart as soon as the moment presented itself.

The few blocks to his apartment were still silent with an undercurrent of a ticking time-bomb. It was about midnight when they got up to his door. She stood slightly behind him as he unlocked the dead bolt and then let her in ahead of him.

Misaki took a few steps into the dimly lit room, in which the only light came through the windows. The door shut behind them and she turned to face him after slipping off her shoes. The outside lights flickered in Li's eyes as he closed the distance between them. He cupped her face and drew it to his as his lips gently covered hers. The tenderness in his touch expressed everything bubbling under the surface. They wrapped their arms around each other and buried their faces in each others necks. Hei shivered at her warm breath on his skin, and Misaki felt it. She swallowed as she collected her thoughts. _It's now or never…_

"Li-kun…" Misaki said with nostalgia as she looked up at him and caught his sapphire gaze. "These last couple days have been two of the most overwhelming, but _amazing_ days of my life…"

She touched his face the way he had daydreamed of, her fingers gently tracing his jawline. "…Because the empty place in my heart, which has ached for so many years, has been filled."

Hei's heart felt like it stopped for a moment at her words. All he could do was breathe her name as he battled with all the welling emotions. "Misaki…"

"Li…I…" she looked him straight in the face as she fought her self-doubt, "For years now, I've…I've been in love with you."

And there it was, the truth laid bare before him. Li inhaled sharply and held it a moment as he hesitated, trying to make sense of everything swimming in his head.

"Misaki, you proved to me years ago that you were a good and _honest_ person," he began slowly, "and in these two _crazy_ days I have wanted nothing more than to spend time with you. I've realized that, even despite my moment of doubt those few years ago, I should have trusted you this whole time."

Misaki felt tears welling in her eyes. "I've wanted you to know that for so long. That I wanted to walk that third path with you…that you have _me_."

Li took her back into his arms, "And now you have me, too, Misaki."

Her breath hitched at his declaration. Hei paused, catching her reaction before continuing, "Because…as terrified as I am, I… I'm falling for _you_,Misaki."

Misaki let a sob escape her lips as the tears trickled down her face. Li looked down at her, lean in placing soft kisses at the corners of her eyes, and along her cheek bones, gently kissing her tears away. Her legs went suddenly weak under the duress of her emotional release. Li picked her up and carried her over to the couch and sat her down. And after quickly lighting a candle on the nearby kitchenette table, came over and sat with her.

"Why?" she asked out of nowhere through her tears. He looked at her not understanding her question.

"Why did you walk away? Why did you tease me and leave me to wonder for so long? If you knew I was indeed a good person, why did you leave me in the dark?" The tears continued to fall quietly as she exorcised the years of built up emotion.

Hei sighed, knowing the time had come to tell Misaki the truth.

"Do you understand how alone I am?" he asked abruptly, the question hitting her like a truck. "I have had absolutely _no _one in the last three years. In about ten years I lost _everyone_ close to me. It's like a curse, as if I was being conditioned not to love. My family…gone. My sister…My first love…"

"Amber," Misaki replied knowingly.

Hei's eyes widened, "How did you…?"

"Everything I've come to know of her, I could tell she loved you more than anything…and I understand why."

He kissed her forehead and let his lips linger a moment before continuing. "I lived for so long thinking she had betrayed me. That was a very dark time in my life. And while wrestling with that, I lost Huang, who I finally learned to trust. A year later I lost Suo _and _Yin at the _same _damn time. I'm cursed, Misaki. I just can't be close to someone… I'm not allowed to love or be loved, because they're all going to be taken from me." Hei paused, overcome by his own words. "I _had_ to push you away, Misaki…because I couldn't bear to lose anyone else."

"Is that why you've been hesitant?"

Li nodded, wrapping arms around Misaki and burying his face in her neck. "I swear…if I let myself fall for you…if I let myself _love_ you…I'll end up losing you, too. And I don't think I could handle that."

Misaki held him close as suddenly she felt something warm and wet on her skin. In that moment she realized he had revealed his one true weakness: the intense fear of love and loss. The thing that motivated him to be a contractor and to keep his head in the game was his talent for stifling the deep running current in his heart.

She sighed aloud as she squeezed him again tightly. He pulled away to connect with her gaze. Misaki placed her hands on either side of his face and wiped the streaks away with her thumbs. He smiled faintly, with a sniff in disbelief. "This is really happening isn't it?"

Misaki smiled sweetly and kissed him slowly and deeply, manifesting the reality of their exchange. Hei let her essence wash away all his fears in that moment. All this time he had denied himself someone in his life with whom he could share some equal footing. She had been searching for him, and he was admittedly thankful for their accidental reencounter.

_Is this truly fate? After years of suffering, could this be my recompense?_

Li and Misaki let the time tick by slowly as they didn't need to come up for air. Li slowly lay Misaki on her back on the futon, laying over her and moving his ministrations to her neck and ear, along her hairline, sending chills down her back and straight to her center.

Misaki felt a twitch and automatically obeyed her body's reaction to press her pelvis to his. She was met with a groan as she made contact with him. "_Kuso…_Misaki…" he breathed, as if wanting to say more and not finding words.

"Li…?" She prompted him to take a moment and finish his thought.

"Will you…come to bed with me?" He asked through eyes half-lidded with desire.

She was slightly amused with his genteel choice of words, as she wondered if he had ever been with anyone else other than Amber. But she was drowning in her heart's swell and wanted nothing more than to feel ever so close to this beautiful and complex man.

Misaki silently thanked her doctor for advising her almost a decade ago to take birth control to manage her monthly cycle. She was without worries about going where she hadn't gone in over eight years. She had dreamed of this moment on many a lonely night, of different scenarios of how he would take her. Never did she dream it would be like this. This was far sweeter than any dream she could have ever had.

She replied wordlessly with a nod.

Li rose to his feet and took her by the hand, helping her up. He guided her to the shoji door to his room and slid it open. His room was sparse and neat and smelled of him. The walls were gray and his simple monochrome décor well-represented his life. She stepped through the door and he slid it closed behind them.

Li came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. His lips quickly sought out the crook of her neck and began relishing the taste of her. A soft moan escaped her lips as she tilted her head, allowing him more access to the sensitive flesh. Misaki could feel his growing passion has he pressed his whole body against her.

The thin fabric of her dress allowed her to feel every subtle brush of his fingers. His hands began to smooth over the silk fabric and one slid its way up to _just_ under her breast. Li grazed his teeth lightly along the nape of her neck, causing her whole body to pulse and quiver. She gasped at the powerful sensation.

Li was quite pleased with the reactions he was getting from her, but he could sense a hint of nervousness. He released her for a moment to turn her to face him and searched her eyes for a second before asking, "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Hai," she stammered, embarrassed to explain. "It's just that it's been, well, about 8 years since I've been with anyone. So I'm just a tad unsettled."

Li smiled tenderly, getting a little warm in the face, his voice low and nearly a whisper, "Well, that makes two of us. Let's take our time…we have all night together."

She sighed with relief as she slid her hands up his chest and leaned in for a tender kiss.

Li placed his hands at her shoulders, letting his fingertips lightly brush against her skin, trailing slowly down her arms and back up to the straps of her dress. He pulled out of the kiss and went for her shoulder. His lips played around the thin strip of fabric as he pulled it out from under his mouth and off her shoulder. He eventually worked the same magic on her other shoulder and then returned to her lips.

Misaki began unbuttoning his shirt ever so slowly. When his shirt finally hung unfastened and partly open, she ran her fingernails down his chest, grazing his skin and eliciting from him a throaty groan. Li looked down at her with heavy-lidded eyes as she pushed the shirt gently off his shoulders and pulled it down off his arms. He freed his arms one at a time to embrace her once again, reveling in the feel of her thinly veiled body against his bare chest.

Misaki could feel the ripples of his chest and abs against her hardening peaks. Her skin felt like it was on fire, and she itched to remove the slight barrier of material between them. As if he'd read her mind, his hands reached for the zipper and pulled it down languidly. The silky garment slipped off her body and floated down to the floor gracefully like a winter's snowfall around her feet.

It revealed Misaki's soft and perfectly shaped bosom. Li basked a moment both in her beauty and innate sexuality with a loving smile. His eyes lowered to junction of her thighs and beheld semi-sheer black lace panties. There came that twitch again, as the blood rushed to his face and much of his senses lost to lust.

Misaki took her turn almost immediately upon seeing the relit fire in his eyes. She undid his belt and deftly undid his button and zipper, wasting no time gently coercing his pants downward. His black shorts did little to restrain his obvious attraction toward her.

He pressed a short kiss against her mouth before making his way over to his bed and pulling back the dark hued sheets. Li turned back to her, taking her hand and pulling him urgently to him, pressing her flush against his body. Misaki's hands wandered his toned back. Her fingers traced over physical scars left by the ghosts of his past as she wished away the emotional ones that were left on his heart.

Li slowly lowered himself to sit on the bed and pulled her with him so that she was resting on her knees, straddling him with her voluptuous curves at his eye level. He nuzzled into her chest, inhaling slowly as the scent of her perfume mingled with her natural essence. His lips slowly swept over her sensitive mounds of soft flesh, his tongue taking stock of every inch he covered.

Misaki's eyes fluttered close at the intimate contact, exhaling a soft moan of pleasure. Her knee-jerk reaction was to run her hands through his thick jet-black hair and graze his scalp with her nails, holding his face to her body.

_She's so warm…so soft…_

Li let himself be overtaken by the dark animal of passion as she continued to moan softly at his touch. He lifted her and placed her, laying down beside him and quickly followed suit, pulling himself farther onto the bed to meet her face to face.

"You are so incredibly beautiful," he said, sounding almost overwhelmed as he pushed some of her hair aside and tucking it behind her ear.

Misaki's heart wanted to explode right then at his tender proclamation. She smiled and pulled him into her and wrapped her leg around him to keep him pressed firmly against her. His hard length pressed against her with only thin layers of cloth separating them and her desire began to pool there. Her insides trembled at the thought of the imminent consummation of this long-anticipated connection between them.

The ensuing embrace brought on further exploration as Misaki's touch moved down his sides to his firm backside where she instantly indulged with a soft squeeze as she pressed him harder against her.

The heat between them continued to rise as the ache could no longer be satiated by their entangled limps and lips alone. Li suddenly got up onto his knees, positioned over her, the abrupt motion having forced her once entrapping leg to the other side. His kissed her a brief moment before trailing kisses down her chin and neck, slowly moving lower through the valley of her ample bust. He languidly dragged his mouth down to her navel where he left soft kisses on her soft, flat tummy. After lingering a moment he worked down to her panty line. As he arrived there, her arousal became evident, her heady musk piquing his olfactory senses and sending a shock straight to his groin.

As Li's mouth came dangerously close to her most delicate place, her body arched of it's own accord. The nervousness and excitement had become virtually indiscernible in her brain. The waves of pleasure gripped her mercilessly as she felt him rub his thumb and nose against her panties along her most sensitive spot. The sound that escaped her throat begged him desperately to continue.

Li began pull at the black lace that separated his tongue from her moist heat and effortlessly slid the small undergarment down her legs and off her feet. She lay there completely exposed to him and he drew in a deep breath, shaking off his own nerves.

Misaki's eyes screwed shut as her sense of touch captivated every neuron in her brain, setting her synapses into rapid fire. Li began leaving placing kisses at her slender ankle, alternating with a slight nibble, his teeth ultimately evoking a deep moan from her as he worked his way back up to the source of her enrapturing essence. It was when he arrive at the tender flesh at her inner thighs that he heard his name uttered for the first time.

"Li…"she moaned. The tone of her voice deep and sensual…and unlike anything he'd heard from her before.

It was an aural aphrodisiac. He drew close to her center and breathed her in. She shuddered at the sensation of his breath on her sensitive, long-untouched flesh. He paused just for a moment before gently prodding with his nose and consequently, his tongue. He drew out of her sounds that he never thought possible. Soft mews of pleasure, as if it was so intense it was practically unbearable.

Li decided to add tactile measures. He pulled his face away from her to run a lone finger down her tummy, into her crevasse. He slid it slowly into her, caressing the soft wet flesh as he went deep into her and drew it out the same way. As Li repeated that motion slowly and deliberately, adding another digit, she called out his name over and over, and equated him to the deity of his choosing.

He lay back down along side Misaki and she instantly found his mouth and devoured him with wonton abandon. Her hand grabbed at his boxers, pulling insistently for a moment before slipping her hand underneath and taking matters into her own hands.

Misaki shivered as she wrapped her fingers around his rigid manhood. Just the touch of her hand drew out a guttural growl from the man in her arms. Li made quick work of removing the now seemingly intruding pair of shorts. Misaki placed her leg back around his waist, pressing herself against him once again. The sensation brought them to a whole new level as the soft head of his length was inadvertently positioned so incredibly close to her moist entrance.

They clung to each other as if letting go meant losing the other, kissing like this was the last night of their lives. They lay there, side by side, facing each other, on the verge of the point of no return. They relented a moment to stare into the other's eyes knowingly before proceeding.

She gave him a soft smile before placing another kiss on his lips and pressing herself against him. And in one intuited motion, he pressed into her, entering her. They paused to savor the feeling of this new connection. They began to move with each other slowly, together, as they pressed into each other and releasing. She was slick but tight and it took everything in Li's power to not go over the edge too soon.

He rolled them over so that he was above her. Misaki wrapped both her legs around him and they resumed their calculated but intimate undulation. The pressure was building quickly as he thrusted steadily deeper inside her.

"Misaki…_koibito…_" Li murmured, claiming her as his lover, following his declaration with a probing kiss.

Their rhythm took on a quicker pace as their desire for release spurred them on. A symphony of passionate utterances filled Li's once lonely space as Misaki's climax approached with the roar of his name, the only thing she could articulate in her delirium. Her insides spasmed and incited Li's own ecstatic peak as years of longing to love, to be loved and wanting to have someone like Misaki in his arms, was brought, at last, to an end.

She was unflinchingly his, and he was willingly hers. There was no doubt in their minds. The rush of blood to their heads brought them crashing to the pillows, attempting to catch their breath. And now that they had confirmed to each other what they had locked away for so long in their hearts, they had only to figure out what the next step would be.


	10. Dawn of Realization

**A Note and terms  
><strong>Yeah...I like the Japanese language. A LOT. I've been using it here and there and in Chapter 2 I provide a whole glossary...but there's a few in this chapter I'm not sure are on that list. so for those who are not Nihongo no Gakusei:

Ja/Ja ne: See ya/Later! Ohayou: Good Morning! Konbanwa: Good Evening! Koibito: Lover/dearest. Matsuri: festival. Mikoshi: Fall festival specific to Matsuyama. Souki: Stewed beef or pork dish. "So desu ka" : "Is that so?"

I can't believe it took me three weeks to write this chapter. I apologize for the delay. I've been beta-ing and absorbed into a re-watch of Kaze no Stigma (which if you find me on Deviant Art, under the same name, I did a side-by-side "contractor comparison" of Hei and Kazuma...it's amusing for sure!), followed by watching the entirety of Death Note this week. Wow, what a series! O.O

This is the aftermath. It's only half the chapter, size-wise, of the last. But it's all in their heads. When you go head first (pun NOT intended) into something that intense, you've got some thinking to do.

Chapter 10: Dawn of Realization

The sun peeked through the open window of Li's bedroom; the comforting coastal breeze blew through the gauzy curtains. Misaki awoke slowly as if from a dream that she wished wouldn't end. As she opened her eyes, she realized her dream hadn't been a dream at all. She lay there, pressed against a warm body, and well-toned arms encompassed her. She lifted her head slightly to recognize Li's peaceful visage.

Misaki sighed as she recalled the intense sensations they had shared the night before. His voice echoed in the back of her mind…_ "Misaki…koibito…"_

He had called her the most endearing thing a woman could be called, other than "wife". She took it personally and felt it deeply. It meant so much for Li to return the feelings she had felt for him for what seemed like forever. But, as much as she relished the idea of BK-201 being in love with her, she began to panic inwardly as reality hit her hard. She would have to leave for Tokyo in three days and would not know when she could return to visit without suspicion from her superiors. She wished her obligations away with the fury of a runaway child, but she knew there would have to be a hard conversation eventually about how they would negotiate logistics of their love affair.

Misaki momentarily pushed her worries aside and nuzzled into him, procuring a soft hum as he tightened his hold around her in his sleep, against his warm naked body. She pressed a kiss to his cheek and relished the warmth, both physically and emotionally, between them. She smiled to herself and let herself return to the blissful reverie.

Li evidently didn't need an a alarm clock, Misaki discovered, as an hour or so later, his stomach announced that it was time to get up and make breakfast. Misaki giggled, and it prompted him to open one eye and look at her sleepily. He grumbled slightly, as his stomach was more eager than the rest of him to get out of bed at the moment.

Li came to his senses a bit more and realized that they were still both quite unclothed. He smiled at her as he gave her squeeze and pressed his morning arousal against her. Misaki's whole body reacted and the heat emanated from her entire being.

"Can your stomach wait a little longer?" she asked with a smirk.

"I'll _make_ it wait," he responded huskily as he leaned it to kiss her lazily.

Misaki took that as her cue to push his shoulders back into the mattress, and slide her leg over him to straddle him.

"It's _my _turn," she insisted.

And Li happily obliged her whim.

O.o ^_^ o.O ^_^ O.o ^_^ o.O

Misaki couldn't idly sit by as Li chopped away at breakfast's components. She had set the rice in the cooker and searched for a second knife.

"Do you have another knife? I can't just stand here and watch," she declared.

Li gestured toward the butcher's block on the counter, and handed her a hunk of pork to attend to as he sliced up some fresh salmon. As she grabbed the knife and began to chop away, wearing nothing but her underwear and one of Li's tank tops, they gave each other a sideways glance accompanied by a timid smile. The same thought seemingly running through both their minds.

_I could do this everyday_, Misaki thought.

_Life could be so different, _Li pondered.

Misaki broke the silence to comment on their outing the night before. "I have to say, Daisuke was really great with Kanami last night, I'm glad they got along so well."

Li agreed, "Me, too. What did you think of dinner? I've cooked for the restaurant on quite a few occasions."

"The food _and_ the beer were borderline perfection. The souki practically melted in my mouth."

"Yeah. I could have had five extra helpings of that and the yakitori," he added with a laugh.

Misaki's thoughts pondered further to the quartet at Club Roppongi, and the newfound fun-fact about Li and his love for jazz. "You know, I never pegged you for a jazz-lover…but I find it rather interesting. Can I ask what it is that attracts you to the music?"

Li grabbed the head of cabbage and began chopping as he considered her question.

"I guess it's because jazz has so many moods. I can relate to it on so many levels. It can be hectic and chaotic…or often mellow and blue…and sometimes even soft and romantic."

"So, there's something to suit all of your moods?"

He nodded in reply. "That, and playing jazz usually requires a certain level of skill as a musician. I like the fact that it takes a certain type of person to appreciate it. It doesn't appeal to the masses, being often misunderstood, giving it that dark, underground feel."

"Well, when you put it that way, it makes a whole lot of sense. Although it's funny, I originally pegged you for a rock kind of guy," she admitted.

"I like lots of music, actually, including rock. Just don't make me listen to that teen pop radio stuff," he said with a shake of his head.

Misaki laughed, trying to picture him listening to her usual radio station. "I'll spare you the J-WAVE, then. I tend to listen to some of that upbeat stuff when working, because it keeps my energy up."

Li raised a brow picturing her listening to danceable pop music, racing through the streets of Shinjuku in her Porsche. He merely shook his head again and chuckled to himself, "I can't help but find it ironic that someone so serious would temper her mood with that kind of music. But if it works…"

"Definitely…It's a guilty pleasure, but it keeps me sane on a hectic day. But when I go home, I listen to a lot of classical, especially the piano, because it's so soothing…and rock, especially when I've had an angry day. But maybe I'll try some jazz," she said meeting his gaze with a smile.

Chopping was done and the contents were left to cook, save the sashimi that got thrown on a couple of plates. They sat down at the kitchenette table and picked up their chopsticks. Li had turned on the television, and the news was on. The big story of the day was the opening of the Summer Festival.

"_Fireworks set to ring in the festival's official start tonight at midnight…"_

"I get out of work at ten o'clock," he interrupted her attention to the reporter, "but if you and Kanami find a spot in the gardens near that bridge from yesterday, I'll come meet you. That's a great place to watch the fireworks. And most people try to head up to the castle courtyards and pack in up there to watch."

"The gardens are more relaxed, I bet."

Li affirmed her assumption with a knowing smile.

_I've been getting lucky with that amazing smile of his popping up so much in the last day. _ Misaki smiled to herself and Li caught it.

"Nan desu ka, Misaki?" he inquired, attempting to procure a reason from her.

Misaki blushed, but felt that after the night they had just shared, and the level of intimacy they had arrived at, that she had nothing to lose by speaking her mind.

"I was just admiring how sweet and genuine your smile is, and how I've been graced by it quite a bit these last couple days. Especially after the last time I saw you face to face in Tokyo…that scowl of yours is terrifying." Li couldn't help but give her a timid smile in return.

She continued, "I'm really glad that after all that you've been through, you've found some peace and happiness and a little bit of normalcy here. You seem so much more how I always perceived you…if that makes any sense."

"You're absolutely right. And it does make sense, because even that evening at dinner, I really didn't feel like I had to put on the _act_ with you like I did with others. For example, you are the only person I had ever casually told about my sister's death. And you, along with Yin, Amber and my sister, all seemed to just _know_. I mean, other than Yin being a psychic medium, Bai, Amber, and now, you all seemed to easily intuit what I suppressed from myself for so long. It's a relief to just be _me_, nowadays."

The timer beeped, signaling that the rest of breakfast was ready, they both stood to attend to the food. Li took a step toward her, rather than the stove, and kissed her, "I really don't remember a time since childhood that I've been _this_ content."

Misaki's eyes sparkled with tears that begged to form; knowing _exactly_ the depths those words came from. She let out a content sigh as he turned back toward the stove to serve up breakfast.

O.o ^_^ o.O ^_^ O.o ^_^ o.O

It was time to get on their way and Misaki had washed her face and put on the little black portable ballet flats she had kept in her purse. With her hair brushed and tied back out of her freshly washed face, she had resumed wearing last night's dress to get back to the hotel. Li had gotten ready for his work day and they were ready to leave the apartment. As he went to open his front door, he paused and turned back to her and kissed her as he had at breakfast, with a comfortable familiarity. "You'll be fine heading back on your own, I assume," he said.

Misaki nodded. "Yeah, I'm good once I've taken a route once or twice."

Li hummed in acknowledgement, and squeezed her hand. "I figured as much. The fireworks are at midnight, but you can expect me around ten-thirty."

"Will we get in trouble if Kanami and I sneak in food or flask? Because I know her…snacks and drinks will be essential," she explained as they proceeded out the door.

"I never see them check, so just be discreet, I guess," he replied with a hint of concern. They walked down to the Shimizumachi station and arrived at the platform. She was getting on a tram toward Dogo Onsen, and he in the opposite direction. She still held his hand and used her free hand to touch his cheek. "Ja ne, Li-kun," she said with a sentimental smile.

He returned the look and replied with a hint of humor, mimicking her cute honorific, "Have fun today, Misaki-chan."

He surprised her with a fleeting kiss, bringing a blush to her cheeks, knowing they had just broken a public taboo.

She got onto the tram as it pulled up and she caught Li hurrying off to the other track for his ride downtown. _It feels so…natural. I can't find one doubt in my heart about him. What am I going to do, come Sunday?_

O.o ^_^ o.O ^_^ O.o ^_^ o.O

Kanami wasn't in the room when Misaki arrived back at the hotel, though it was evident she was somewhere in the hotel. So she decided to head down to the outdoor springs where they had gone the other day. Sure enough, Kanami was in the hot spring, chatting with two other young women, not too much younger than them.

"Ohayou, Misaki-chan!" Kanami called out with a knowing smile. "So glad you're here!"

Misaki lowered herself into the warm bath and removed her towel, seating herself next to her best friend. "Ohayou, Kanami-chan! I see you've made some friends."

"Of course, this is Yuri-chan," she gestured to the girl on the left with the short, pixie-like, bright red hair. "And this is Misa-chan." The girl on the right had a short bob of jet black hair with dyed blue streaks in the front. "They're here for the weekend from Osaka."

"Nice you meet you, Yuri-san, Misa-san. I'm Misaki Kirihara."

"So, Misaki-san, are you two going to the fireworks tonight? We were talking about maybe going all together," Yuri asked.

"Absolutely. I have someone meeting us in the castle gardens for 10:30; you're welcome to join us."

"So desu ka! Li-kun is meeting us after work! Wonderful!" Kanami squealed like an adolescent fan girl.

Misaki stopped short and got even warmer in the face than she already was. "Y-yeah. So we should get there for about ten o'clock."

"Let's grab some dinner then, before hand," Misa suggested enthusiastically as she and Yuri grabbed their towels. "How does eight o'clock sound?"

"Sounds good to me!" Kanami agreed with a smile. "See you then?"

"Hai! Ja ne!" They chimed in stereo as they exited the bath, leaving Misaki and Kanami alone to dish dirt.

Kanami turned to Misaki with that same knowing grin, "Misaki…"

"Eh?"

"You're _glowing._ I mean seriously _radiating_."

Misaki let all the little moments flash through her mind of last night and this morning and she could stop a content sigh from escaping the smile melting over her features.

Misaki didn't even have to say a word. Kanami shrieked, "I _knew_ it! Oh, Misaki! I'm so happy for you." She grabbed Misaki by the shoulders, "Last night it was plain as day all over your faces, just how into each other you are. It was a long time coming…err…pun _not_ intended."

Misaki and Kanami giggled together following the last remark. There was a minute of silence as Misaki's mind went down the path of 'What's next?'

Kanami saw her friend's expression flat line and knew what was on her mind, "So…have you thought about-?"

"Yeah…" she replied distantly, "and I don't know yet. We haven't discussed it. But he has an idea of my line of investigative work, and knows that having a long-distance relationship may be logistically difficult. The only _real_ option is for him to come back to Tokyo eventually…but I really don't know if he can do that anytime soon."

"Aww! How depressing!" Kanami whined as if she were watching a daytime soap opera.

Misaki decided to change the subject. "So…how did the rest of _your_ evening go?"

Kanami perked right back up and began chattering on ready to dish every detail. "Daisuke-san was such a gentleman. He's quite knowledgeable on so many things: Cuisine, Politics, Science, International relations. He's done a lot of traveling and he's even been to Hawaii. So when I told him I spent two years in Hawaii's Astronomics Lab, it became a two hour conversation. He's so handsome and _mature_ unlike so many of the guys I've dated…"

She swooned, "Misaki…He's a _real_ man. Not a _boy_, not even just a _guy_. He seems to be on the up and up. Honest, you know? He doesn't seem like a playboy."

"So…what are you going to do?"

"Well, to start, we'll keep in touch. In September, he has to come to Tokyo for a convention, so we'll get to spend some time for dinner and whatnot. I want to date him and see where it goes…and maybe for your birthday, we can come back here for the Mikoshi festival? You'd get to spend some time with Li, and it'll give you guys a couple months to figure it out."

"I'll have to come up with good excuse for taking yet another vacation with out looking suspicious to my superiors…But it could work," Misaki debated aloud.

"It's settled then!" Kanami declared as she sank back into the steaming waters. After a moment she looked at Misaki. "So…"

Misaki knew exactly what was coming next.

"…how was he?"

Misaki slapped her head to her forehead, refusing to answer her nosy friend.

O.o ^_^ o.O ^_^ O.o ^_^ o.O

Li went about his usual lunchtime routine. The stand was already busier than it had been in the last couple weeks, now that tonight meant the start the weekend-long matsuri. He had already been at work just over a couple of hours, and usually his shift flew by when he was this busy with customers, but, as he chopped away at the various vegetables and meats, he felt like his shift couldn't end soon enough.

He threw freshly steamed ingredients in the noodles and served a couple of young women who looked like they were mid-shopping spree. His mind instantly flashed back to Tuesday, when he had first met the quizzical stare of a pair of familiar bespectacled eyes and smiled to himself.

_Has it really only been two days since then?_

He turned back to the boiling pots and wiped the sweat from his brow with a hand towel. Li's mind had been racing with possibilities and plans all morning. He was torn between wanting to keep this peaceful, anonymous existence, and wanting to follow Misaki back to Tokyo.

_How am I debating these things already, after a mere couple of days? Is this the call of destiny…? Is this…what Bai would have wanted?_

He pondered the fact that his sister's spirit was always with him in the form of his power; and questioned the inexplicable pull on his heart, that tugged him in a direction he once promised himself to never go in again. He stopped mid-chop to inhale deeply and tried to shake himself of the consuming thoughts, when the conversation behind him distracted him.

"…Well, Misaki-san said she was meeting a friend for the fireworks at ten-thirty. So if we eat at Raruki, we may have to get there earlier than eight to be at the gardens for ten. Yuri, do you have Kanami-san's mobile number?"

"Yeah, I'll give her a call when we're done eating."

_So we're going to have company, eh? _Hei thought to himself. _At least it'll keep Kanami from feeling like a third wheel._

He turned to serve the next bowl to a young man sitting next to the talkative pair. He noticed the girl with the short red hair fidgeting with her mobile.

"Here it is, Misa. See! I _did_ save it in my phone while we were talking, before Misaki-san showed up."

He debated with himself as to whether or not he would say something, and decided against it. _I'll let it be a surprise…Let's see if they remember me later._

He committed the faces and names to memory, and continued on with his duties. The two women, oblivious to the situation, thanked Li for the meal and left money on the counter. He waved and turned back to his current bowl of noodles.

As the afternoon wore on, his thoughts turned back to Misaki. This strange ache engulfed his chest as he wondered when he'd get to see Misaki again after Sunday. But he kept reminding himself of his part-ownership, though small, in addition to being the manager of the stand. It would be hard for him to just up and leave his partners.

_Besides, I've finally made a comfortable place for myself in this city._ _I'm just not sure that returning to Tokyo and a life somewhat in the shadows is something I'm ready for._

But he knew, deep down, that at some point he would _have _to do it…not only for him and Misaki, but for Bai and everything which she and Amber gave of themselves. He pushed that thought aside.

Dinner time brought droves of people as they strolled down the red and white lantern-lit sidewalks. Li kept glancing at the little clock hanging on the side of the kitchen area. The next two hours would surely be an eternity. All he wanted was to lie in the grass and gaze into the sky with Misaki. At that mental picture, it dawned on him.

_When's the last time I wanted to do that, never mind actually get to do that?_

He knew then, that everything that had happened in the last couple of days, although a swift evolution of emotions and events, left him without fear or doubt of Misaki Kirihara and her intentions. She would never put herself or him in such a complicated situation on purpose.

_We'll just have to talk about it before she leaves…and I need to get a phone somehow._

He sighed as his wrist was noticeably beginning to bother him from overwork. In about forty five minutes the night chef would be there to start the shift change over. Li already made it a point to get things done as quickly as possible so that he could leave a few minutes early.

The minutes ticked away ever so slowly.

O.o ^_^ o.O ^_^ O.o ^_^ o.O

Misaki folded a light blanket from her bed at the hotel and placed it in the large tote she had used for their excursion to the beach. As she had predicted, Kanami filled her flask with some whiskey Daisuke had introduced her to at the cigar bar the night before. Tonight was casual, as they'd be sitting in the grass in the gardens to watch fireworks. Yuri had called Kanami earlier and they decided to meet at seven-thirty instead, as they knew restaurants would get crowded and they'd have to wait for a table.

Misaki couldn't get her mind off Li; even after a full afternoon of being dragged around town, in and out of shops. She had taken a moment to bathe alone earlier and couldn't help but nonchalantly run her fingers over all the sensitive places Li had touched her. She needed to feel him close again. It had only been a matter of hours since they had parted ways and gone about their day, but she was already yearning for more.

She had broken down and given Kanami some vague details about her overnight stay. One thing she did dwell on a moment was how everything felt so incredibly natural and comfortable with him. To which her loyal friend insisted that she try to get him to come back to Tokyo as soon as humanly possible.

Misaki could only sigh, as she hoped life would work out that way…the way she had been secretly dreaming of for about four years now.

_Patience, Misaki._ She told herself. _Li needs to come to that realization on his own. Only then can we continue down the middle road._

The two were finishing up preparations when Kanami's phone rang. She answered excitedly, obviously knowing who it was. "Konbanwa, Daisuke-san!...Hai…Hai…"

Misaki tried to listen but couldn't make out what he was saying until Kanami's directions gave them away. "The Castle Gardens…yeah, I'm bringing a flask myself," she giggled.

Kanami turned to Misaki. "Whereabouts in the gardens? Daisuke wants to meet us, too, when he finishes at the restaurant around eleven o'clock."

"The picnic green on the other side of the bridge at the far end," Misaki said loudly.

"Did you get that?" Kanami asked her beau. She nodded at Misaki, confirming that he had heard her.

"Ja…"

Kanami jumped up and down like a little girl with a crush. "I'm going to celebrate turning thirty at the stroke of midnight, next to a really great guy under the fireworks! I hope he'll try to steal a kiss!"

Misaki snorted sarcastically, "In that case, he won't be stealing it, will he?"

"Hey! You got laid by your dreamboat last night!" Kanami spat back with mirrored attitude. "At least let me be excited about a kiss from a sexy man who likes me!"

Misaki laughed lightly, "Well, when you put it _that_ way…"

They gathered their things and headed out to the lobby to meet Yuri and Misa.

It was looking like things were about to get even more interesting.

LOVE NOTES and CRITIQUES APPRECIATED! I promise not to take so long on the next one! Thanks for reading! Hit me up here or on Deviant Art, I love to chat!


	11. Eyes on the Sky

**It's been a busy month! but I'm really glad I took my time with this chapter. Thanks to Haruko and Aerysa, who kept me going to the finish line! ^_~ **

**Reviews are like cookies! And I LOVE cookies!**

Chapter 11: Eyes to the Sky

Throngs of people packed into the lifts to make their way up to Matsuyama Castle. Some, who were more in a rush, took the paths up the hill to the main courtyard instead of waiting in line for the lift. It was a little past ten o'clock and the four women made their way up the hill by the path, taking the shortcut to the gardens that Misaki had learned about thanks to Li.

Misaki led the girls through the gardens in the faint light shed by the flood lights from the courtyard at the top of the hill. People were already setting up their chairs and blankets, and pulling out snacks and such as they congregated with friends and family. Misaki eyed the bridge and realized there was barely anyone in that area on the other side of the stream. She realized as they crossed the bridge that they'd still have a perfectly unobstructed view of the fireworks shooting from the top of the hill.

Kanami, Yuri and Misa already had started in on the spirits they had sneaked inside their bags. Misaki felt a little like the odd one out as she was not much for making small talk. Gossip about shopping and hot springs eventually devolved to the topic of guys. Kanami went on about Daisuke while the two younger women 'ooohed' and 'ahhed' like teenagers. Misaki had laid back on the blanket with her arms folded behind her head, just listening to the schoolgirl-esque chatter.

"Wait till you meet Li, Misaki's boyfriend," Kanami blurted out. "What an a-dork-able hottie!"

Misaki felt like she had to defend herself against the rising heat in her face, "Kanami! Come on, he's not-we're not-"

"Is 'a-dork-able' even a real word?"

The pleasant tone of Li's familiar voice came from over by the bridge. Kanami was caught red handed in her gossip. Misaki covered her face with her hands as a groan escaped her lips. Li plopped himself down next to Misaki and introduced himself to Yuri and Misa.

"Hey!" Misa exclaimed. "You're the guy from the Ramen stand!"

Li smiled and laughed. "Yup, that's me. I heard you talking about Misaki and Kanami earlier, but I wanted to see if you would recognize me when I showed up. Glad my noodles we're memorable!"

Misa smiled and blushed, "Y-yeah…it's kinda funny. Yuri and I definitely thought you we're a cutie."

Yuri coughed and waved away the thought. "Haha…well, we had no idea who you were. Nice to meet you, Li."

He laid back to join Misaki and mirrored her by putting his arms back behind his head with a sigh. "Ten o'clock couldn't have come fast enough," he said smiling softly at her.

She returned the smile and looked back up at the sky. "What a beautifully clear night. Perfect for fireworks…and stargazing."

Li grinned. Just the thought of sharing one of his favorite pastimes with her made his heart swell. He gave her an approving glance.

"Well, the fireworks are at midnight, but all the residual smoke clouds from the show should clear out within an hour. Do you want to go out to Dogo Koen with my telescope?"

Misaki laughed, "I'd _love _to! After all that, you still have a telescope?"

Li, suddenly seeming a bit more modest than usual, replied thoughtfully, "Heh, yeah. It was one of the first things I bought for myself after I started working at the ramen stand. It's one of the few things that has always saved my sanity."

Misaki gave a knowing nod and stared back up at the sky.

Kanami roped Li into some light conversation with the other two girls for a little bit. About work and 'school' and moving to Matsuyama. Of course Misaki generally stayed out of the conversation and let Li weave the truth with the fiction. The girls were getting visibly tipsy, and Yuri came out and asked, "So Misaki, how exactly did you and Li first meet?"

Kanami and Li both looked at Misaki. Li waited with curiosity to hear her "layman's" version of the truth. Misaki cleared her throat and thought a moment.

"Well…I was attending an old high school friend's birthday, and Li was working for the caterers along with another friend of mine. Eventually, we got to talking, but there was a power outage and everyone had to evacuate the building and we all lost track of each other. We eventually ran into each other randomly at the mall, and another random day, we had an impromptu dinner date. But, like he had said before, he then had to return to China because of complications with renewing his visa…and I hadn't seen him since until Tuesday."

"How long ago was all that?" Misa asked thoroughly enthralled.

"About four years ago."

There was a stereo "Wow!" from the girls. Li seemed quite amused.

"I have to agree with Kanami," Yuri added. "This is totally fate, you guys."

Li put on his sweetest smile, "You may be right, Yuri-san. I'm sure it will all work out for the best."

Misaki smirked at him, and took advantage of his blatant act to poke him in his side again, taking him off guard, and laid on the sugar-sweet so thick it could have given someone a cavity as he squirmed away. "Oh Li-kun, kawaii desu yo!"

She started laughing at the ridiculousness of the scene, causing everyone else to join in.

"So it's seems the party's started with out me!" a suave, yet commanding voice bellowed.

"Daisuke-san! There you are!" Kanami exclaimed. She stood to greet him. He took her hands in his, "It's good to see your smiling face, Kanami-san. Konbanwa, Li-san, Kirihara-san."

Kanami blushed then turned to introduce her newfound friends to the attractive man whose attention she held. Misaki and Li merely nodded in acknowledgement, still resting back on their elbows and simply observing the situation.

Daisuke was also dressed casually in grey shorts and a summery cotton button down shirt. He sat himself between Kanami and Misaki, joining in on some lighthearted conversation.

The smell of some traveling vendors filled the air and made Li's stomach rumble. Everyone stopped in their tracks and turned to stare at Li. Misaki giggled.

"Why don't you and I go hunt down those vendors. I assume you didn't eat before leaving work," Misaki suggested. Li nodded, confirming her assumption.

"We have forty-five minutes until midnight." Li stood and took Misaki's hand, practically lifting her to her feet.

"Yeah, and my birthday! Hurry back, so we can toast to me being old!" Kanami laughed.

Misaki turned back to Kanami, Daisuke and the girls. "We'll be right back."

Li and Misaki walked up the path toward the main courtyard where the food vendor trucks were scattered amongst the growing crowd. He had never let her hand go. Their fingers eventually seemed to lace together of their own accord as they made their way through the hordes of festival attendees. It was so natural, the connection, that they didn't even notice until they had gotten in line for meat buns and Li needed to dig his wallet out from his back pocket and he had to release her hand.

Li ordered a dozen, intending on giving a couple to Misaki, who wanted a quick snack. The man at the truck gave Li a baffled look, but filled his order nonetheless.

After grabbing the paper bags filled with the steamed treats, Li retook Misaki's hand and led her in a direction that was not the way they had gotten there. She cocked her head slightly to the side looking for an explanation.

"A shortcut back…This way."

There was a little narrow path, much like the one out by the ledge the day before. Its presence was so subtle that it would easily go unnoticed. They made their way down the narrow path with Misaki trailing behind Li at arm's length. Suddenly Li slowed to a stop and turned to Misaki. He gently placed the bags on the ground and let go of Misaki's hand to softly grasp the back of her head and pulled her into him.

Although his stomach was empty, his kiss screamed with a hunger for something completely different. Misaki would have sworn she could feel an electric current run through her. Her body tingled from head to toe. She could feel the hair on the back of her neck stand on end. His lips clung tenaciously to hers, as if he could have devoured her in place of his dinner. He gnawed lightly on her bottom lip and a soft groan escaped his throat. She reciprocated, wrapping her arms around his neck and dominating the kiss with a ferocious tongue. They played a passionate game with their mouths for a few minutes until Li's hunger pangs got the best him. They drew apart, lightly panting.

Li smiled contently. "I've been waiting for that all day."

He picked up the bags, opened one and pulled out the first bun. He chewed and swallowed quickly, then turned to continue down the path. Misaki couldn't wipe the grin off her face.

_He never ceases to surprise me!_

O.o^_^ o.O ^_^ O.o ^_^ o.O

It was nearing midnight and even the gardens had filled up with eager spectators. Misaki was in awe of the sheer numbers of people in attendance. It excited her to be a part of something to big and seemingly happy. She had sat between Li's legs and he wrapped his arms around her midriff, resting his chin on her shoulder just breathing her in. Kanami sat beside Daisuke, leaning against him as they prattled on about random topics with Yuri and Misa.

Midnight hit and all the lights on the castle grounds suddenly went out. The crowd began to cheer in anticipation. Kanami had poured a little of the contents of her flask into little cups and handed them to Misaki, Li and Daisuke. They raised their glasses to Kanami with a loud cheer of "Kampai! Happy Birthday Kanami!"

Only a minute later, the first fiery streak shot into the sky. It burst a bright pink and illuminated the smiling faces of the masses. The hiss and squeal of rocketing explosives escalated as the sky became alight with bright shapes and colors. The fireworks enthralled spectators young and old as they danced overhead, sparkling and sizzling.

Li had lay back on his elbows and pulled Misaki back against him so they could more comfortably view the brilliant display. Her gaze trained on the spirals and blooms hurdling into the night sky, she smiled and sighed to herself. Misaki had been deep in thought as she realized that over the course of the last few days, he had opened up to her and shared so much of who he is with her.

_I can't help but be grateful for finally getting to know him. My instincts were right…and it feels so good._

Her thoughts were interrupted by a kiss on the top of her head. Li paused as he inhaled the same scent that he hoped would linger on his pillows for weeks to come.

The time arrived for the last part of the show and it became a blazing cacophony as seemingly every firework launch practically simultaneously. The grande finale only lasted a couple minutes, but it was beautiful and intense. With the pop of the last explosion, the crowd roared in appreciation.

Kanami, Daisuke and the girls were whooping and cheering, obviously inebriated and somewhat falling all over each other in giggles, not paying attention to the cuddling couple slightly behind them. Misaki turned in his arms to smile at him. His lips instantly found hers and lingered there a minute.

"Those were some of the best fireworks I've seen outside of Tokyo in a very long time!" Kanami exclaimed, a hint of a slur in her voice.

"Yeah, that was fantastic!" Yuri agreed, pausing to take another swig from her flask. "Hey, do you wanna go somewhere and continue this party?"

Misa perked up and concurred, "Absolutely! Let's go to Provence Bar! I heard it's a hot spot, and it's not too far from here. Come on, Kanami-san, it's your birthday!"

The girls looked to Kanami and Daisuke, and then to Misaki and Li. The couples looked at each other, obviously trying to figure out whether that would truly be a good idea. Misaki knew where she would rather go and what she would rather be doing than drinking in a trendy bar. Kanami seemed more torn, but would leave the decision to Daisuke. She turned to him, searching his eyes for an opinion. As if understanding and devising his own approach he turned to Li.

"Say, Li, what were you guys up to after this? Did you want to go out and about?"

Li smiled and blushed a little, "Actually, Misaki and I were going to go to Dogo Koen with my telescope."

Kanami shot a slightly sarcastic look toward her best friend. "Misaki's going to do some stargazing? Big Surprise!" She scoffed. "Don't waste too much of Li's time staring at one star, ok?"

Misaki suddenly choked on herself and glanced at Li out of the corner of her eye. For a brief moment there was a hint of shock in his expression and a slight blush on his face. But he quickly put on his best ignorant face.

"Kanami! _Seriously_?" she finally spat, but was interrupted by Daisuke.

"Well, I used to do some stargazing as a kid, before the stars changed," he said, turning to Li, "and if it's not an imposition, I would love to join you! How about it, Kanami? Would you let this big kid do a little reminiscing?"

Yuri and Misa looked at the four of them, a little deflated. But it was understood, as they were all a tad bit older than the two of them. Kanami shrugged at them apologetically.

"Tomorrow night we've got plans, but maybe Saturday?" Kanami suggested to them.

Misa nodded. "We'll see you in the springs at some point tomorrow, I'm sure."

Kanami whispered to Misaki, "You sure you don't mind?"

"It's fine, Kanami. Daisuke seems really excited about it, and I don't blame him."

Daisuke clapped his hands like an eager young boy, "I know one of the night guards at the park. He'll let us in the back gate. I'm sure of it." He turned to Li, "While you go back to get the telescope, we can go on ahead and I'll get in touch with my friend."

Everyone began wrapping up their respective belongings and bid each other adieu. They all headed off in their separate directions. The trains were entirely too busy, so Li and Misaki decided to walk back instead.

"Kanami still gives you a hard time about me, eh?" Li quipped in a low tone.

Misaki got a little red in the face, "Yeah…well, I _did_ buy that necklace the other day. And, of course, she gave me flack for that, too. She just assumes I am obsessed with my work."

"Well, she _is_ right about that. You wouldn't have figured me out if you weren't."

Li gave Misaki a taste of her own medicine and poked her side, catching her off guard. She looked up mildly surprised at his playfully mocking gesture. Then sniffed at his words as they settled into her head.

"Yeah, I guess you're right…" Misaki's voice trailed off in thought as she took his arm and continued to make their way back to Shimizumachi.

"At least with Daisuke coming, we won't have to sneak into Dogo Koen," Li remarked with a smirk. They had arrived at his apartment building and ascended the stairs.

"You keep alluding to scooping me up and swooping off to places to do romantic things," she said, returning the sly smile. "You really know how to get a girl's hopes up."

He raised an eyebrow in her direction as he unlocked the door. "Is that a fantasy of yours? To be whisked away by BK-201?"

He opened the door and looked back at a completely speechless Misaki Kirihara. Her mouth hung agape and she was so flushed that there was visible sweat beginning to glisten on her forehead. Li was quite pleased with her reaction and found it utterly irresistible. _If she keeps that up, I may just be tempted to grant her wish._ He grabbed her by the wrist, snapping her out of her embarrassment, and pulled her to him and shut the door behind them. He laced his fingers into her long chestnut hair and claimed her mouth with a possessiveness she hadn't felt from him before.

After a moment he pulled back to look her in the eyes, his voice low and gravelly.

"Someday."

Her eyes widened, heart pounding as she nodded slowly in acknowledgement of his promise.

He released her gently and walked over to the corner of the living area to grab his telescope. As he turned back around, she finally found her voice.

"Yes."

He gave her a quizzical look.

"It was a fantasy…for years. I've had dreams that you returned and sought me out. One was that you arrived on the scene of a chase and saved my life, carrying me off to safety. In another, you arrived on my balcony while I was cooking dinner, you were wearing your mask for some reason, and you let me remove it…" She looked down at her hands as if her words could be found on them. "At first, I thought maybe my work was just getting to me. But, there were so many emotions mixed into it. I tried to keep it to myself, but some people seemed to read me like a book. It was a bit embarrassing, really."

He chuckled at her as he came back up to her, "That just goes to show that as tough as you can be on the outside, you're just as sentimental as I am."

Misaki hummed in concurrence and placed a soft kiss on his cheek.

She turned and opened the door once again. "Let's get going…oh, and by the way, I figure I should forewarn you about Kanami. She's a little loose-lipped and opinionated, especially when drinking."

"I'm sure I'll be fine playing along," Li laughed lightly as he locked the door.

O.o^_^ o.O ^_^ O.o ^_^ o.O

At the grounds of Dogo Koen, Kanami and Daisuke had arrived and chatted up the guard, who was a regular at the brewpub.

"Yes. I was the head of the Tokyo Astronomics Division during the Hell's Gate incident. It was never a dull moment…a little scary towards the end, but exciting nonetheless."

The guard seemed genuinely interested. "That's so awesome! So you must know a _lot_ about the new stars."

Daisuke seemed proud of his companion, "Yeah, and our friend is coming with his telescope so that we can go to the top of the hill and do some stargazing, if you don't mind."

"Sure, no problem! Enjoy yourselves!"

Li and Misaki arrived and they made their way to the top of the large hill in the center of the grounds. Once Li set up the telescope, he focused in on a cluster of bright stars. He gestured towards the others and Kanami was the first to look.

"Hmm, judging by the direction we're facing, that must be the SR cluster: SR-822, 934 & 681. From what I remember, one of them is here in Japan, the other two are Americans."

Everyone took turns looking. Misaki then turned the telescope a bit and waved over Kanami.

"That star, the one left of center, is TG-352...my latest case."

Kanami took a look. "Man, I wish we still had the Astronomics lab. I would kill to get more info on these cases for you, like the old days."

Daisuke looked at Kanami and Misaki, intrigued. "That sounds like some cool, top secret stuff."

They gave a nervous chuckle as Kanami replied, "Yeah well, Section 4 dealt with contractors and they were only allowed certain levels of access." She cleared her throat before continuing. "Let's just say…I 'filled in the gaps' for Misaki."

"Misaki-san, so you must know all about contractors and their stars, too," Daisuke pried.

"Uh, y-yeah. We essentially hunted down criminal contractors and dealt with them and kept them out of the public eye until the last sun-spot cycle four years ago."

"And what she won't tell you is how obsessed with her work she is," Kanami jabbed at Misaki.

_Here she goes…_Misaki rolled her eyes as her loose-lipped and still tipsy friend, futilely attempting to stop her. "Kanami, do you ha-"

"All I have to say is: BK-201. That's the big one." Kanami pointed to the brightest star in the sky to the east.

Daisuke looked to the star with the others, then back at Misaki curiously. "What was, or is, so special about that contractor?"

Misaki sighed, hesitating. She glanced over at Kanami, then Li, before replying. "Well, it all started with rumors and hearsay: BK-201, or the Black Reaper. The star started becoming frequently active in the months leading up to the Hell's Gate incident. We eventually discovered that he not only has the power over electricity, but also the power to alter matter on the quantum level. He's considered to be one of the most powerful contractors in the world."

Daisuke listened wide-eyed.

"_And…_not only is he super-powerful, but before he became a contractor, he was a highly skilled mercenary in Heaven's War."

"Sounds like double-trouble!" Li said, putting on a good show.

"I'll say!" the handsome businessman agreed.

Misaki fought the smirk tugging at the corner of her mouth. "To further complicate things, he wears a mask to conceal his identity, so we never figured out who he actually was. But, over the years that I worked his case, I have had actual encounters with him. He has saved or spared my life on many occasions, which is highly unusual for a logical being like a contractor."

"I always used to tell her that he probably got off on the chase," Kanami blurted out.

Li suppressed his reaction by clearing his throat. Misaki slapped her hand to her face in mortification. "Was that _necessary_?"

"Yes…" the tipsy astronomer affirmed. "Please continue."

"So ever since he didn't take Evening Primrose's side, and made a choice that allowed both contractors and humans to live together, I was resolved to a third choice. And that's what I do for a living now. I fight to keep the world fair and peaceful for us all. And BK-201's star still shines, which means he's still out there somewhere."

"Maybe you guys could join forces someday!" Li suggested enthusiastically, laying the act on thick.

Those well-acted words carried personal meaning, apparent only to them, that resonated in her heart. Her face softened to a sentimental half-smile, as she attempted to cover up her real emotions. "Yeah, if I ever find him…That's what I would hope for."

Kanami tugged on Daisuke's arm. "See what I mean? She gets all dreamy-eyed about the world's deadliest person. That's just _twisted_."

"I don't know," Daisuke refuted her, "if Misaki's assumption is correct, then only law-breaking, unjust people have anything to fear. For all we know, by day he could be a normal guy like me or Li, and just has a job to do by night. It would amazing for those of us who strive for peaceful existences to have someone like that BK-201 guy on our side."

Daisuke looked at Misaki and then back to Li with a laugh. "Looks like you have some stiff competition there, Li-san. You're a great guy, but how does anyone compete with a vigilante-type guy like that?"

Li put on his best stammer, placed his arm over Misaki's shoulders and blushed, "Oh…well… I know Misaki's devoted to her cause. I'll never get in the way of that. But she likes me, so I must be doing _something_ right!"

Misaki simply mirrored Li's goofy smile and leaned her head on his shoulder. She couldn't take anymore interrogation.

_Please let the conversation change!_

Conversation finally meandered onto the topic of the old stars and Li and Misaki had a mutual flashback to the day they hung out together and watched the city shut down it's lights in hope of a miracle.

"_What if all those fake stars were to suddenly disappear? Wouldn't that be sad as well?"_

Those words had struck a chord in Hei in that moment. _Had her phone not rang right then…_He mused quietly.

They spent another hour or more looking at different stars and formations. There were stories of family and friends, vacations in the country, rooftop telescopes and making wishes. Daisuke even started trying to come up with new constellations.

"That one," he said, tracing the shape with his finger to the sky, "I will call the Ramen Bowl!" Daisuke laughed.

As the fatigue began to set in, Daisuke and Kanami seemed to get even sillier. Misaki couldn't help but shake her head, still smiling. It had been well past two o'clock when Kanami was the first to yawn.

"I need to get some shut-eye, guys," she said through yet another.

Daisuke was quick to offer his arm after everyone was ready to go. They walked back down the path to the gate they had entered through, bidding the night watchman a goodnight. Daisuke had grabbed his car from the restaurant earlier, so they had a ride home from Dogo Koen.

"Li, are you going back to your house or are you going to the hotel?" Daisuke asked his friend.

"Well, I hadn't discussed that with Misaki yet-"

"Sure, as long as Kanami doesn't mind my absence yet _another_ night, let's go back to your place."

Kanami whistled at her friend. "Aw, you two can't get enough of each other. How sickeningly cute."

"It's ok, guys," Daisuke replied with a smirk. "Kanami already asked for my company anyway."

Misaki raised a brow. "Well then! At least I don't have to feel so bad."

O.o^_^ o.O ^_^ O.o ^_^ o.O

The kettle whistled and a cozy Misaki got up from Li's side on the couch to make her nightly tea.

She returned from the counter with two mugs, handing one to Li and resuming her comfy spot next to him. Her silence spoke volumes, as her brow furrowed in thought. He knew exactly what was on her mind.

"I meant what I said earlier," Li said softly, snapping her out of her thoughts. "You've given me a reason to fight again. I needed that reminder. Thank you."

Misaki was taken aback, staring in slight disbelief at his admission. But there was more to it, and she knew that. Her hand came to rest on his leg in a comforting gesture.

"Obviously, it's not that I don't trust you or Mao. I don't trust your superiors…especially Madame Orielle. She's screwed me over once before and left a bad taste in my mouth. I need time to think."

"Well, they have yet to do me wrong. We all make a rather effective team. My only other occasional partner, Mina Hazuki is a strong and trustworthy agent. The woman just doesn't know when to leave me the hell alone…about _you_…_and_ about her. She hits on me on a daily basis." _When Li decides to come back to Tokyo, the look on her face will be priceless. _ Misaki smiled to herself.

Li laughed, "Mina Hazuki…is that the light saber lesbian I fought a couple times? The woman in the suit? It seemed like she had a thing with that girl, Yoko."

Misaki's laugh at his quip was tainted by the somber thought of Yoko. _And we're back to that. _ The whole scenario surrounding her death. "Yeah, they sort of had a thing. Sorry for blaming you for Yoko at first. It ended up being a set up, of course. One of our own betrayed us."

"Of course."

There was a minute or so of silence as Misaki just sat with her head on his shoulder and her mug in her lap, pondering the conversation.

"It's so weird being able to talk so casually like this," Misaki remarked.

"But isn't that a _good_ thing?" Li replied, with a matter of fact, yet genuinely sweet look. Misaki nodded with her mug to her lips.

She returned to her thoughtful silence until she hummed into her mug, signaling for his attention. After swallowing, the giddy schoolgirl crush suddenly had a random question.

"So…I've been dying to know…How the hell is that jacket of yours bulletproof?"

He laughed aloud at her curiosity. Li got up and went into his room a moment. Misaki could hear rustling amidst the opening an closing of a drawer. He came back with a square of folded black fabric. Her eyes widened in giddy excitement at a close up inspection of the Black Reaper's secret.

"It's made of an expensive material that was developed by the American space program. It's extremely durable, can withstand extreme temperature, and is unbelievably light-weight. It seems to have a reaction to my power, as it manipulates particles, particularly electrons."

Misaki gasped as the answer hit her, "So as soon as you put it on, the material becomes virtually indestructible!"

The random incidences of feeling faint electric current as he was close to her began to make sense as she further processed his explanation. "Can I see? Can one feel the difference in the change of the material?"

Li nodded and handed her the jacket. She unfolded it and held it out in front of her. All she could do was stare and rub the smooth black material between the pads of her fingers. It was fairly thin and seemingly fragile. Li could help his amusement as she gave it a little tug to test it's durability.

"Here," he said as he stood from the couch, "I'll show you."

Li took the jacket and effortlessly slipped it over his arms and shoulders, snapping a couple snaps. There he stood before her, and all she could do was blush. It hit her hard: who stood before her, who was treating her like a lover, who finally wanted to take the same path…_Kuro no Shinigami!_

He offered his sleeve for her to examine. It was still very light, but the flexibility and toughness had changed enough for it to be slightly detectable. She rested her hand on his sleeve a moment and felt the hairs on her arm stand up.

"That's not nerves," she pointed out. "Your jacket conducts the light, ever-present current. I can feel it…That's amazing."

Feeling momentarily proud of himself, he sniffed at her marveling. Suddenly he decided to indulge a whim and pulled Misaki to him. Her skin was hot with arousal. His face was practically nose to nose with hers.

"Do you want to go out and have some fun in the city?"

Flabbergasted, Misaki stumbled over her words, "But, it's-we can't-I don't have any black to wear. We could be seen."

"Come with me." He lead her into his bedroom. Li threw her a pair black drawstring gym pants a black tank top. He changed into the same and dug his utility belt out of the closet, putting it on with a snap. With a quick check of his lines, Li put his jacket back on. Fortunately for her, Misaki had chosen secure footwear that evening.

She gazed at him and found herself more turned on than she even had in her life. The Black Reaper was going to take her on a joyride of sorts through the city.

"Let's go."

He took her by the hand and led her out of the apartment carefully. He locked the door behind then and they ascended the stairs to the door that lead out to the roof. The apartment building next to his was about three stories higher. Once at the ledge, he wrapped his arm around her waist with one simple command.

"Hold on."

Misaki wrapped her arms around him tightly, her whole body wracked by nerves. Li whipped a line to a fixture at the top of the next building and they leapt into the night air. Her breath caught in her throat as she forced back a scream. The line retracted swiftly as they swung forward toward the building, hurtling them onto the roof. They landed firmly on their feet and Misaki finally let go of the breath she'd held tight.

"Li, my heart is pounding. That was better than any rollercoaster I've ever been on."

With a chuckle, he corrected her. "For tonight, call me Hei, Chief Kirihara."

She turned three shades of pink, but remained quick with her tongue.

"Is that a fantasy of yours, BK-201? To soar off into the night with the relentless police chief at your side?"

He grinned deviously. Quickly he grabbed her with his gloved hand, running toward the next ledge. In one fell swoop he pulled her in tightly and took her with him as he jumped, throwing his line out mid-air and swinging them around the corner of the next building and landing on the fire escape. Misaki's blood was coursing through her veins mercilessly. But Hei didn't give her even a moment before he pulled her into a crushing kiss.

_This is just like dreams I've had. _ That's when it hit her. _ He's purposely catering to my fantasy. _

They quickly ascended the fire escape to the roof. "This way," he directed. They ran and leapt off again.

They spent about an hour making their way around the city, gliding rooftop to rooftop. Finally the arrived back at the castle grounds at the city's center. They stood on a rooftop over looking the fence. They paused a moment, catching their breath. Hei kept his arm around Misaki.

"This is amazing, Hei. I haven't had a work out like this in ages! Never mind in the early morning hours!"

Hei removed his glove for a moment to run his fingers through her hair. "It's been nearly a year since I just went out in the night to get out into the city…just for kicks."

"That feeling has to be the closest thing to flying. It's so freeing," Misaki mused. She decided to pick his brain. "So…_Hei_…" she drew out his code name playfully. "Why all this? Why tonight?"

Hei peered down at her with a look of mild disbelief. "I assumed you already figured that out."

"To sweep a woman off her feet, literally and figuratively speaking."

"Hah! Well, _yes…_but that's not all. I wanted some practice."

She looked back up at him, awaiting further explanation. "Practice, Hei? Haven't you been doing this for years?"

"Of course, on my own. It's been a long time since I've had to carry another person around with me. I figured you needed to get used to the idea."

"Chief Kirihara," he whispered in a low rumble in her ear. "Are you going to take the Black Reaper's hand and walk the third path?"

A shiver went down her spine and her eyes slid shut. He ran his gloved hands down her bare arms from her shoulders to her hands and held them. All Misaki could do was breath his name. "Hei…"

He kissed the crook of her neck and then readied her to descend into the castle grounds. "We have about an hour till sunrise, let's head to the tower and watch it."

Once again taking her waist she wrapped her arms around his neck and they leapt into the trees, his coat flapping behind them.

O.o^_^ o.O ^_^ O.o ^_^ o.O

They sat at the top of the tenshu as the eastern horizon grew increasingly rosy. They sat in each other's embrace like they had earlier during the fireworks. Misaki yawned as she tried to speak, "I'm starting to fade, Hei."

As the words left her mouth, a golden flash peeked through the trees on the top of the hills to the east. Sunrise had arrived, and blinding rays shot over the hilltops and banished the shadow of night.

"Beautiful," Misaki breathed. Quickly she realized, however, that if they didn't leave immediately, their cover would be easily blown.

It was only shortly past five o'clock, so traffic was still sparse. Hei had already thought of it. They quickly made their way north, across a few rooftops, down into an alley near his apartment and finally up into his building. Quickly and quietly, they arrived unnoticed.

Wordlessly, they removed shoes, jacket, and everything else and practically collapsed into Li's bed. He pulled her close and relished the feel of their body heat mingling. "Did you enjoy our little outing, Misaki?"

"Mmm, I did," she hummed, "Arigatou, Hei…I mean Li…" Misaki was already floating off to her dreams. Hei smiled at her sleepy self-correction. With a yawn, he stretched and wrapped himself around her slender but firm body, letting sleep get the best of him.

"I don't care what you call me…as long as you'll stay with me," he murmured, drifting off.

His voice reverberated like an echo in her approaching reverie, she smiled sleepily as she mumbled her reply, "I'm not going anywhere, koibito."


	12. Promises

**Listen to this track from the OST 5.1 "Sekibetsu" while reading the first scene. It is the most perfect, heart-wrenching soundtrack: youtube .com/watch?v=izppuTndpsw**

**The last scene was inspired by Undisclosed Desires by Muse**

I'll be honest. The lack of feedback is a little disheartening. I wrote my ass off the last few chapters. And although I am thankful for my friends who keep encouraging me as they are the ones keeping me going and believing in my story...I get a thousand hits on my story, hundreds of visitors, yet only the faithful handful take the time to let me know what they think, whether positive or critical. I believe in my story and my writing, but I don't know what *you* think unless you tell me!

On with the story!

Chapter 12: Promises

_Three Years Prior:_

Hei walked out of the gate, downtrodden, with the now lifeless body of his beloved Yin in his arms. Still reeling from the shock of what he was just forced to do, he was determined, now more than ever, to flee the city that he'd grown so accustomed to.

_There's nothing left for me here. I have to leave this place and give Yin a proper burial._

In the midst of all the chaos, Hei pulled the flaps of his jacket closer in on him, slipped into the maze of dark alleys and ran for his life.

Everything he had fought for, including the last few people that he would give his own life for, was gone. Even the Syndicate was gone. Yet there were still people who wanted to destroy the lives of thousands of contractors; and there was no way he would let them get their hands on either her or him.

Hei ran off into the distance in the middle of the night, heading southwest until he was out of the Tokyo city limits. Knowing he didn't have much time, he kept on the move without sleep or food for a full day. The adrenaline coursing through him was the only thing keeping him in motion.

Finally, there was shelter in the forest on the foothills of Mount Fuji. He took a moment after sunrise to forage for some plants and was able to hunt down a rabbit for sustenance. But eventually the sun rose high in the sky. The time had come for Hei to do what he knew was right. He began collecting wood to build a makeshift pyre.

Night descended and the forest grew dark. Yin's body lay peacefully across the layers of wood. Silently, pensively, he stood over her. Though he knew it was the necessary step, he hesitated still, fighting with his heavy heart. Hei lit a piece of dry cloth with a spark.

Tears spilled unrestrained from his somber blue eyes as he knelt before the body that once belonged to the only remaining person he trusted in the world. Quiet sobs escaped his throat as he gasped for air as the flame crept closer to his hand. He finally dropped the burning cloth on the bed of wood and watched it ignite, slowly and steadily.

Hei recalled the last time he had felt sorrow of this magnitude, when he had realized they had recreated the incident of Heaven's Gate and decimated Japan and that whole corner of the world. But it was different then. Last time, there had been a solution and Amber sacrificed herself for Hei's choice.

This time it hit straight to his core: There was no undoing. There was no turning back time.

Never in his life had he felt so incredibly alone.

_I'm so sorry, Yin…I couldn't save you. I couldn't even keep my promise to protect you. And now…_

Hei's frustration and anguish rose from his chest in the form of a growl. "Never again!" he shouted into the black canopy overhead. His voice echoed into the nothingness. He slumped backwards to the ground, burying his face in his hands as the overwhelming despair wracked his body, eventually sapping him of what energy he'd had left.

O.o ^_^ o.O ^_^ O.o ^_^ o.O

The sun rose on the following morning and Hei collected most of what he could of Yin's remains into a makeshift sackcloth. His heart was so heavy, that it had become difficult to think. All he could do was to follow his instincts, which told him to head south and away from the city.

He followed close to the main highway that snaked around the base of the mountain, avoiding being seen the broad daylight. After having traveled most of the day on foot, Hei found shelter after sunset just outside of a small town called Hamamatsu. He took what little money he had left in his pockets and bought much needed sustenance at a small store.

A "help wanted" sign was perched in the window. But, despite wanting to be one step ahead, he needed to recuperate before he tried to devise a way to get some money to survive.

The town was right on the water, and he decided that his first waking task would be to find someone with a boat.

Hei had no idea how long he slept for, but it was well into the afternoon when he woke the next day. His stomach was grumbling again. Taking a walk around town, he found other places looking for help. He shuddered as he sighed deeply. He knew he wasn't emotionally ready to do _anything_ yet. But determination took a hold of his heart, and he walked into a restaurant to talk to the manager.

The owner of the restaurant also happened to have a room for rent. Right away, Hei had a roof over his head and was able to save a bit of money to rent a boat from one of the local marinas.

O.o ^_^ o.O ^_^ O.o ^_^ o.O

A couple weeks had passed. It was a radiant Sunday afternoon and Hei, in a bit of his casual "Li" style, went down to the docks and spoke to a portly middle-aged man. The man happened to be a captain of a fishing fleet, and had a small boat on which he had previously promised to take Hei out to sea.

The waters were fairly calm and the breeze was soothing. Hei breathed deeply, dwelling on the years he spent working with Yin. He recalled fondly how they had managed to be a source of friendship and comfort to each other amidst a life lived in chaos. His chest tightened as he stared into the foaming wake created by the boat breaking through the water's surface.

They had traveled a few miles out, when the captain slowed the boat. Hei reached for the sack containing Yin's ashes. He paused his breath caught in his throat has he choked back tears that begged to fall.

_Yin was always been connected to the water. This is the only fitting resting place for her._

As the boat moved into the wind, Hei stood at the rear of the vessel. He gently let loose the cloth bag and allowed the gray contents slowly pour out into the breeze and float away and land on the surface of the azure waves.

_Sayonara…Yin._

When the sack was totally empty, he released the breath he had been holding and gazed somberly at the trail of ashes that were slowly sinking into the depths. He took a long moment before turning to the captain to give him a knowing nod.

The captain turned the wheel, and headed the boat back to shore.

O.o ^_^ o.O ^_^ O.o ^_^ o.O

_Present:_

Misaki awoke alone in Hei's bed. She realized that he must have let her sleep, even though he had to go to work after only a mere nap. She turned over and saw a key occupying his vacant pillow.

_He left me a key to his apartment?_

She blushed as she smiled to herself.

_It's like he's my…_

Before she could finish her thought, she recalled the vague sleepy memory of their final exchange as she feel asleep. It seems like a far off dream.

"_I don't care what you call me…as long as you'll stay with me."_

"I'm not going anywhere, koibito…" she recalled her own words aloud to herself in disbelief before she finished the previous thought, recalling Kanami's words the night before.

"…boyfriend."

She sat stunned at herself as she pondered just exactly what that meant. It had only been three days since this whole whirlwind of events began. She reminisced to all the nights she spent chasing him, and how she felt when she first made the connection between Li and BK-201.

"I'm…the Black Reaper's…_girlfriend?_"

She suddenly burst into hysterics at the ridiculous sound of what she just said. Wiping away the tears of laughter couldn't wipe the huge grin off her face as it occurred to her.

She threw back the blanket and headed over to his closet where he had kept his utility belt and gloves. Sure enough she lifted the rumpled jacket and heavy belt to find exactly what she expected: Two split-blade knives and a chipped mask with a purple bolt through the right eye. She realized it neither smiled nor frowned, but as the angle from which she looked at it changed, it's expression changed. It was quite the ingeniously unsettling effect.

Refusing to pick it up and move it, knowing he'd probably know she had been snooping, she bent over and ran her fingers along the battered surface of the face that had long haunted her dreams. Misaki paused in thought a moment before standing back up and gently closing the door.

_I have to admit, I am more than fine with these developments. Li…Hei…his soul is a labyrinth. It may take a very long time to peel through his layers. But, if he trusts me enough to leave me a key…_

She was feeling quite proud of herself. After all she had wrestled with, BK-201 and she had finally come to a beautiful understanding.

Her deep thought was interrupted by her phone ringing.

"Kanami! _Kuso! _What time is it?"

Misaki glanced at the clock as she went for her phone in her bag.

_11:45._

"Hey."

Misaki was met with the barrage that is Kanami.

"_Where the hell are you? I thought Li worked at ten in the morning! When you didn't come back I was so worried! It's totally not like you to be late, Misaki!"_

"Sorry, Kanami. We were, uh, up till dawn…watching the sunrise."

A squeal of delight pierced Misaki's ear, followed by a sudden command.

"_Well, hurry up and get your ass back here. I want to go soak in the Kami no Yu today!"_

She quickly agreed with a "Hai!" and hung up before her friend could lecture her even more.

O.o ^_^ o.O ^_^ O.o ^_^ o.O

Kanami and Misaki walked down the street from their hotel to the town's biggest tourist attraction: the oldest hot spring in Japan, the Kami no Yu at Dogo Onsen.

"The Water of the Gods, eh?" Misaki remarked dryly.

"Heh, yeah…what are they going to do, keep me looking thirty until I die?" Kanami joked.

The building's exterior looked like something out of a movie, with elaborate ornamentation adorning much of the roof and it's façade. They entered the antique building and went to the front desk. They were handed robes and a numbered key to their private room to change in and relax over tea service after their bath. With the summer matsuri in full swing the resort was quite busy.

The whole time the two women relaxed in the bath, Misaki could help but feel like she owed her best friend the truth. For years, she had kept Li's true identity a secret. She kept thinking about Kanami's reaction when she discovered the other night that her own best friend was keeping a big secret from her for a guy. But Li wasn't just any guy, and Misaki continued to debate with herself in her mind.

Kanami could tell something was on her friend's mind, but didn't pry right away. She opted to spill the beans about her developing situation with the handsome businessman.

"So…do you even want to hear about the rest of _my_ night? I mean you already told me you two stayed up to watch the sunrise."

Misaki snapped out of her daze, releasing her brow from it's deep furrow. "Uh, yeah…just don't get too graphic on me."

Kanami went on to tell her how Daisuke made her tea and laid down with her till she fell asleep. "We finally kissed…and he's surprisingly tender. Again, he was such a gentleman. He held me until I fell asleep…"

She trailed off with a smile on her face before coming back to and finishing her story. "He just stroked my hair and told me how beautiful I am…when I woke up this morning, he had my breakfast tray waiting for me."

She chuckled, "He ate your share…I figured you didn't mind."

"Not at all, Kanami," Misaki replied, genuinely happy for her friend. "It sounds like he's really a great guy."

After a half an hour or more in the hot water, the girls had found their fingers shriveling in overexposure to the water. "I'm turning into a prune," Kanami commented. "Let's go have some tea."

Misaki acknowledged her and grabbed her towel.

Back at the cozy private room, the two women sat on the tatami mats in their robes as a female attendant poured their tea and left with a bow.

Misaki sipped her tea and decided it was about time to tell her friend what was really going on.

"So…I think Li and I are getting serious."

Kanami's eyes sparkled, "_Really?_"

"Yeah, last night we talked about…some stuff," she admitted vaguely. "And this morning, he let me sleep in and left me a key to his place."

Kanami's expression formed an "Ooh" without vocalizing it.

"Yeah…he really trusts me, which I know is seriously _huge_ for him…"

The birthday girl gave her friend a baffled look, not truly understanding. Kanami thought Li to be a genuinely sweet and unassuming guy. She urged Misaki to clarify. "Does this have to do with whatever personal stuff of his you won't tell your own best friend about?"

Misaki paused, the mental argument coming to a head as she went to proceed with the conversation. "Well…yes. It does. And now that I know that things with him are real, and this is actually turning into something…I need to tell you something that you _absolutely_ cannot utter to anyone else. _Ever._"

Kanami was stunned at Misaki's gravely serious and hesitant tone. "As your best friend of nearly twenty years, I promise that whatever you tell me does not leave this room."

The former police chief eyed her. "Being drunk is _not_ an excuse, either, to say anything to him or anyone else. You hear me?"

Kanami crossed her heart and threw her hands up in a gesture of swearing.

Misaki paused yet again and gnawed lightly on her bottom lip. _I hope he'll be ok with her knowing._ She exhaled heavily as she opened her mouth to speak.

"Li is…a contractor."

Kanami's eyes widened. "What? No way!"

"Yes, actually…and not just _any_ contractor…"

Kanami gasped, "He's _isn't_…"

Misaki nodded. "BK-201."

The room fell silent for a long minute. Kanami just stared in utter disbelief at Misaki's news. When she finally found her voice again, it was ever so soft.

"How long have you known, Misaki?"

"I had a hunch for a while, but I knew it pretty much to be true by the end of our little dinner date. The next day, after the destruction of the Saturn System, Horai had me in a death grip, and he _saved_ me. I called him 'Li', but he just told me that the man I called Li no longer existed. He left me there with so many questions…"

Kanami just blinked in astonishment. "That was almost four years ago."

Misaki nodded.

"It all makes sense now…you knew who he was all these years. You liked him as Li, and were obsessed with him as a contractor…and you had all those theories about how he was really trying to fight for both contractors and humans…"

"And I was right, Kanami; so now it looks like he's going to eventually come back to Tokyo," she said suddenly beaming, though her expression seemed somewhat conflicted. "He's still torn about how to go about it…not to mention there's all the emotions involved with donning his Black Reaper persona once more…I mean…the poor guy's been through more than any normal person could handle. He lost everything. So, he closed that chapter of his life and finally found some peace and quiet here. Now I've shown up and everything's changed in a matter of a few days."

Kanami sat and thought about it, really paying attention to the tenderness in Misaki's voice. "You really are in love with him, aren't you?"

Misaki smile sentimentally, "Things are really intense, for sure. But I know he feels the same."

"But I thought contractors don't have feelings," Kanami rebutted, confused.

"That's the general idea, but Li inherited his power from his sister…the _original_ BK-201. He doesn't have an obeisance, and he's most _definitely_ an emotional being. So he's a contractor only in the sense of his special ability."

Kanami nodded slowly as she processed this shocking information. "That _is _huge."

Misaki's tone quickly changed from serious and secretive to that of a crushing teenager.

"So the _truth_ about last night…we toured through the city by rooftop. He has those zip lines that enables him to sweep in and out of places. We snuck into the castle grounds and watched the sunrise on the top of the tenshu! It was such a rush!"

Kanami grinned from ear to ear. "Look at _you!_ Head over heels, that's for sure. Well…I will keep this as much of a secret as you have until he decides it's alright for me to know."

"Thanks, Kanami. It means a lot. This is one of the biggest things to ever happen to me in my life. BK-201 and I are finally joining forces-"

"In more ways than _one_," she laughed. Misaki joined in, her happiness completely undeniable.

"You know what, Kanami?" Misaki regained her friend's attention. "This morning as we fell asleep, I accidentally called him by his old codename, 'Hei'. And he said that he didn't care what I called him, as long as I stay with him."

Kanami's jaw dropped. "One of the world's most powerful contractors is a sensitive soul, huh?"

"Do you get it now? He's a beautiful conundrum of human and contractor, dark and emotional, powerful yet soft. He's already opened up so much to me in just a few days."

Kanami just smiled. "I would be lying if I said that I _wasn't_ a little freaked out by all this…but honestly, Misaki…?"

"Eh?"

"I'm really happy for you."

O.o ^_^ o.O ^_^ O.o ^_^ o.O

Kanami and Misaki were ready for the festival. They had decided to don traditional yukatas for the evening's festivities. Kanami had bought one specifically for the trip. It was lavender with white and berry colored floral accents, and finished the garment with a magenta sash.

Misaki, on the other hand, brought the yukata her mother left her. Misaki's mother had similar complexion and eye color. And Misaki, in similar style, favored a palette of blues in her daily dress. The kimono was primarily a powder blue, with silver, white and deep blue abstract detail that vaguely resembled something organic. The sash was also blue, but the hue was not nearly as dark as the detailing.

They both tied their hair up in traditional style with the two sticks securing their buns in place and slipped on wooden-soled sandals.

With a final check in the mirror, they grabbed their small hand bags with the bare necessities and headed out.

They found that they were far from alone, as more than half the crowd in the streets were dressed in yukatas of various colors and patterns. Daisuke left work a little early when the girls had shown up to the brewpub. He wore a silvery grey yukata with black and red stitched dragons and a red sash.

With a smile he greeted them. "I forgot how wonderfully comfortable these things are!" he exclaimed, grabbing at his robe. "I feel like I haven't left the house!"

Kanami giggled at his remark. "You look wonderful, Daisuke-kun."

They had a beer before heading down the street to the square where usually the first procession of the evening begins. Everything from the telephone poles and fences to light posts were decorated in red and white. Lanterns and festive lights hung in rows along and over the crowded streets. Vendors lined the streets, selling everything from sake and cheap beer to a plethora of foods, to fans and other matsuri-related knick-knacks.

Misaki saw a pretty fan with the image of two song birds on a flowering branch on it. She decided to grab it, with the intention of getting caught up in a dance at some point. It had been far too long since Misaki been to a summer matsuri. It was well before her mother passed. She remembered the summer between elementary and middle school, her mother had taught her a few of the traditional summer dances, one of which included the use of a fan as a prop. She smiled to herself, hoping that her mother would be smiling down on her that evening.

Misaki's stomach rumbled. She easily persuaded them into seeking out a yakitori vendor. The trio followed their noses to discover a canopy over a long grill of hot coals and with three chefs tending to dozens of skewers.

Misaki inhaled the delicious aroma. "Sometime's you just can't beat 'meat-on-a-stick'!"

Daisuke agreed with a hearty laugh.

Misaki purchased a few skewers for herself. She held one in her right hand and the remainder of her purchase occupied her left as she tore into a hunk of chicken.

"Hey Misaki, did you see a sake vendor yet?" Kanami asked her eyes scanning the rows of booths along the street.

"Hah! Is that all you can think about? I think I saw one about a block back that way," she replied as she gestured, skewer in hand, behind her.

When she went to take another bite of chicken, it had all disappeared from the bamboo stick. Her first reaction was look down, thinking it had fallen off.

"Wow, that's some tasty yakitori!"

Misaki turned to find Li smiling through a stuffed face-full of chicken.

"Hey! Get your own!" Misaki laughed, attempting to feign being upset.

Li, to Misaki's astonishment, had worn a yukata as well. His was unsurprisingly black, with a silver frond-like pattern and a dark blue sash. He gave her a small dopey 'Li' smile.

"I saved my appetite for festival goodies. Everything smells delicious!" he informed them with a grin as he surveyed his options.

Kanami and Daisuke laughed at their friends' interaction. Kanami gave a condoning smile to Misaki. _She's so smitten. But then again…so is he. It's really difficult to think that this guy is really THE BK-201. _ She recalled Daisuke's comment from the night before.

"_For all we know, by day he could be a normal guy like me or Li, and just has a job to do by night."_

Kanami smirked to herself. _Little does he know he hit the nail on the head._ She caught herself watching Li and Misaki, when Li caught her amused but thoughtful look. Kanami blushed and looked back to Daisuke who was trying to figure out where to grab more food.

"Anything but _ramen_, please," Li said with the shake of his head.

The quartet made their way down the crowded street and grabbed random bits of fried delights and grilled morsels along the way until they arrived at the square where a large stage was set up. A young woman came onto the loud speaker and announced the performance of traditional music and summer matsuri dances.

There were two kotos, a shakuhachi, a shamisen and an enormous daiko drum set up on the stage. Seven people stepped out onto the stage and assumed their instruments, save a middle-aged woman who grabbed a microphone.

Many of the women emerged from the crowd toward the stage for the impending music and dance. While Kanami was still nibbling on some tempura shrimp, Misaki had finished wolfing down her own deliciously greasy snack. She decided to pull out her fan from it's place, tucked into the back of her obi. And with a flick of her hand she glanced over at her dark-eyed lover, flirting with her sparkling tawny eyes from behind the pair of song birds.

Li's eyes widened at the sudden sensual look she shot his way. Misaki's eyes smiled at him before she trotted off to join the group. Li simply stared after her. The drum beat began to throb. The thrumming of the koto rang out in beautiful chords. The woman who was going to sing helped start the dance. The shakuhachi's haunting tone whistled over the pounding of the daiko and the crowd of women began to move. Many were beginners, and even some foreigners tried their hand at the dance. There mothers teaching their daughters, as Misaki had been taught two decades ago.

The former police chief took pride in her mother's memory and danced this dance for her. Most women, as in any group dance, merely go through the motions. Misaki, however, paid attention to every muscle movement, to be as graceful as if she were moving in water. Kanami, Daisuke and Li looked on in astonishment.

"I never knew she could dance," Kanami admitted. "All she ever did in school, as long as I've known her, was swimming. She's so…"

"…elegant," Li murmured, as if in a trance.

"So desu ne! Misaki-san looks like a maiko. Her movements are so fluid," Daisuke remarked.

The other two concurred as they continued to watch.

Misaki was lost in her thoughts for a moment. When she slowly turned with a flutter of her fan, her eyes caught Li's adoring gaze. She continued her steps in motion with the group, arms gracefully rising and falling with the melody of the shamisen and shakuhachi. Some passers by stopped to watch and happened to remark on the woman in the blue yukata.

It was graceful and, for Li especially, enticing. This was yet another revealing moment for Misaki Kirihara. Another warm shade of the cool-headed, guarded woman he never truly got to know until this week. A warmth tingled in his chest as he realized he felt a tinge of pride knowing that the alluring woman in the blue yukata didn't have eyes for anyone but him.

As the dance came to a close, Misaki once again hid the lower half of her face with her fan and trained her eyes on her lover until music finally cadenced.

Spectators clapped both for the musicians and the dancers, as Misaki made her way back over to the others.

"You were awesome, Misaki!" Kanami raved, hugging her friend.

She beamed. "That was a dance mom taught me years ago. She was with me just then…" Her smile turned nostalgic. "She was a wonderful dancer."

Li's heart panged as he empathized with her sullen recollection. Misaki turned to him and saw the sympathy in his smile as he hugged her.

"There are no words…" Li whispered in her ear.

It was a warm summer night, but it didn't prevent a shiver down her spine at his breath on her ear. "Arigatou, Li-kun."

She pulled back a little and grinned widely at him with a amusing idea in mind. He raised a brow at her, awaiting whatever she seemed to be plotting.

"When the circle dance happens, you all are joining me!"

They all groaned a little in protest. But Daisuke shrugged. "I haven't done it in years, but get enough sake in me…"

"Let's go make that happen, then!" Kanami exclaimed enthusiastically.

Quickly everyone followed her to the nearby sake vendor Daisuke, who refused to let her pay, bought four bottles; one for each of them. Li and Misaki just gaped at each other then at the bottles as she handed them over.

"Let the festivities begin!" Kanami proclaimed with a laugh.

Misaki heaved a sigh of resignation. "Looks like tonight's going to get a little messy."

They popped open the bottles and found a spot to sit. A group had just gotten up from a bench in the square and they quick sat a moment to soak in the jubilant chaos around them. Li sat and leaned in toward Misaki. "Ugh, this stuff kicks my ass," he said, referring to the sake with a disdainful eye.

Misaki had taken a sip and nearly spit it out all over herself, giggling at his uncharacteristically crass declaration and the look on his face. "Well, then, don't drink it all. I think Kanami is actively _trying_ to get us drunk."

"I don't mind. I traded off tomorrow's shift for next Wednesday's, so we can spend your last day doing something special."

Misaki blushed, "That's a nice surprise! At least tomorrow I won't have to wake up alone…" Misaki leaned her head on Li's shoulder.

After watching more of the music they all decided to pick up and head downtown toward Okaido and the castle. As they headed down the hill they began to hear the approaching sound of cymbals and hand drums.

"Here comes a shrine procession!" declared Daisuke with a giant swig from the sake.

They all were beginning to feel the effects of the potent rice wine. Daisuke began bobbing up and down to the pulse of the drums. "This is my favorite part: shrine processionals and the battles. It gets a bit crazy, but it's all in good fun!"

"If it gets to be too crazy for you two, I can get us out of the crowd," Li chimed in.

A huge sea of people centered around an elaborate golden shrine made it's way down the hill behind them. They were bouncing around to the rhythm of the percussion and chanting.

There was nothing anyone could do as the masses approached, except be swept up in the motion of the crowd. Hundreds of people in the street moved collectively with the music, following the beautiful shrine and it's bearers as they reveled and shouted, praising the gods and the spirits.

They tried to stay as close together as they could. Li and Misaki stayed tightly locked, arm in arm. Daisuke shouted over his shoulder, keeping a firm grip on Kanami's hand, "If we get separated from you two, we'll call you when it dies down!"

They confirmed and continued on, joining in the chanting. The cheer was infectious; and with sake as a catalyst, Misaki, Li and their two friends shared in an amazingly ecstatic moment. For those twenty minutes that it took the shrine procession to reach Okaido before it would turn toward the castle grounds, all worries dissipated. Misaki and Li especially had so much to gain from relieving themselves momentarily of their burdens. The contractors, the underhanded government, murders and theft: it was nowhere in mind.

When the procession hit the Okaido area, Li led Misaki, who grabbed Kanami by the wrist, taking her and Daisuke with them out of the crowd. There was yet another stage set up with more music going on. The red and white steamers and lanterns abound, decorating seemingly every inch of the streets.

More music was playing, though it had gotten momentarily surmounted by the noise of the procession. As the crowd moved away, the music came back into focus. The guys were currently performing a group dance. Li and Daisuke were obviously still avoiding the idea of dancing…

Until the music changed.

Another woman, this one seemingly in her twenties, announce another dance. Misaki quickly observed the crowd coming together and joining hands.

"This is the circle dance! C'mon!" Misaki exclaimed, grabbing both Li and Kanami by the hand. Daisuke reluctantly followed suit with a shrug, recalling his earlier promise.

The four of them joined hands and broke their way into the forming circle around the square stage. A second, large outer circle quickly formed behind them, as this was a more popular festival dance for men and women alike. The drum pounded under the hands of two men on either side of it. There were two shakuhachi players, creating a weaving melody between the two flutes. They began with simple steps in a clockwise direction.

Hei let loose and let go of Li's clumsy façade and let himself be light on his feet like he knew himself to be capable of.

_How hard can these little dance steps be compared to combat maneuvers?_

He held Misaki's hand to his right and an older woman's hand to his left as they moved around the stage, in a series of cross steps and hops in tandem with the beat. Misaki's face had a permanent smile plastered across it. Her happiness instantly grabbed a hold of his heart. She seemed to be reliving a lost memory from her childhood.

Misaki and Kanami giggled, influenced somewhat by the inebriating amount of sake in their systems. Round and round the dance went, occasionally changing directions. People sang along and cheered as the energy escalated. Suddenly Kanami yelled out.

"Best birthday _ever_!"

O.o ^_^ o.O ^_^ O.o ^_^ o.O

It was just past two o'clock. The effect of the sake took its toll on the foursome, Li and Misaki especially. Daisuke wasn't paying too much attention to the other couple's drunken ramblings as they wandered the streets. But Kanami was, and her curiosity was quickly satisfied by some of the things she randomly overheard in between drunken giggles.

They had a playful banter going on under their breath that, for the most part, was audible only between them.

"I'm loving this fun, unguarded side of you," Misaki said with a flirtatious growl. "I can't wait to get back and…"

Misaki leaned into his neck and mumbled something Kanami couldn't hear. Whatever it had been put an impish smile on his face.

"I can wear the mask this time…"

_Kinky! _ Kanami thought with the resolve to discontinue eavesdropping. She went back to contemplating what her and the handsome restaurateur would soon occupy themselves with.

They had made their way back up to Dogo Onsen and Kanami surprised Misaki with a new plan.

"Daisuke's bringing me back to his place. He says he has a bottle of fine aged French wine he'd like to share with me for my birthday," she whispered with a wink. After catching the surprise in her friend's eyes, she added, "You guys can have the hotel room tonight. I promise to call after breakfast before coming back."

Misaki grinned slyly, "That's fine with me."

O.o ^_^ o.O ^_^ O.o ^_^ o.O

The lobby was so quiet as Misaki and Li stumbled slightly as they made their way toward the elevator, laughing at themselves with every misstep.

The elevator doors opened and she tripped over her sandal, causing her to tumble into the elevator. Misaki went to catch herself on Li, who was also a bit unsteady on his feet thanks to his arch nemesis, sake. She ended up toppling them both over and she landed on top of him. She immediately let her impulse take over and hungrily kissed him. His hands wandered her back eventually weaving into the loose strands of hair that had fallen from her bun.

She paused a moment to look down at him, a smile spreading across her features.

"I've never had this much fun in my life."

He reciprocated her smile and agreed, "Me, neither."

They scrambled to their feet as they reached their floor. Hei grabbed her by the hand and they hurried toward the suite. He pressed her against the door and returned the kiss she had laid on him in the elevator. Without breaking contact, she handed him the key card and he opened the door. It opened swiftly and slammed against the wall under their weight.

The only reality they knew in that moment was their unleashed desire for each other. Last night's escapade had gotten them to reveal a deeper, fervent side to each other. Not only did they appreciate the other's light, but their darkness as well. And especially for Hei, that was essential.

The burning coursed through their veins. Hei dipped into the crook of her neck and grazed his teeth against the tender flesh. His name escaped her lips like a desperate plea.

"Hei…"

The sound of her voice was a shot to the groin and he instinctually sank his teeth a little deeper as her nails raked his back. He relented momentarily and pulled her away from the door and it shut with yet another slam. Misaki quickly found his embrace once again and sought out his mouth with hers. Hei pulled her in tightly, unable to satiate the animal within him.

Soft hums of pleasure rumbled in intimate exchange between lips, tongues and teeth.

In the back of her mind she was envisioning him as the dark and dangerous man she had hunted, trying to recall how she felt about him before she knew who he really was. She lost herself in a dark fantasy. Her teeth took a hold of his bottom lip as his hands roughly grabbed her backside and grinded against her. She released it with a sigh, hot on his skin.

"We need to lose these yukatas," he said in a dire tone. "…_Now_."

Misaki turned in his arms and he let go to make swift work of untying her obi, mentally restraining himself enough to be gentle with her heirloom and not rip it off her in his fit of passion. The long strip of blue fabric floated to the floor as she turned back to return the favor. The undergarments came next to undo. Practically competing with each other, they made quick work of untying and peeling back the layers. Misaki had been wearing a blue lace demi and bikini duet underneath. Before she even had the chance to shove the yukata and undergarment off of his shoulders, Hei recaptured her against his warm bare chest. His mouth refused her even the slightest protest.

It was instantly apparent to her how aroused he was, as he pressed himself flush against her.

She dragged her nails down his chest and pulled out of his searing kiss to trace her tongue along the junction of his collar bone. He shuddered slightly under her touch and she smiled to herself against his moist skin. She nibbled her way to his shoulder and sank her teeth in, mimicking his aggressive actions. He groaned at the sensation.

Hei reached up and pulled out the two sticks securing Misaki's hair in a bun, letting it tumble gracefully over her shoulders and down her back. Taking handfuls of her hair in both of his hands, he brought her long tresses to his face and inhaled slowly, his eyes drifting shut.

"It's you…" Hei whispered as he exhaled. "Everything about you moves me…" he trailed off as he opened his eyes. The deep running current of his soul shown in the shimmering sapphires as he trained them on her swollen, speechless lips.

His hands finally moved to grasp the sides of her head as he savored the taste of her. Misaki was incited by the near-smothering assault on her mouth. She pulled him with her toward the bedroom door. They didn't bother to shut the shoji door behind them before he flung them against a wall. With her back up against it, Misaki slid a leg up till it was around his waist, under the yukata that hung open. Hei slid his hand down her thigh and his fingers deftly slipped under the moist lace and ran along the soft wet flesh underneath.

Misaki felt the heat spiking through her body, and groaned through gritted teeth. The primal urge shot up her spine and her arms reacted, grabbing a tight hold of his shoulders. She wrapped her second leg around him, forcing him to support her against his pelvis. As he pressed her harder against the wall, his hard length begging to be freed from it's confinement, she finally forced the yukata off his shoulders.

Hei recaptured the sensitive and delectable spot on her neck right below her ear. With a possessive growl he picked up where he had begun at the front door. He wrapped his arms around her and got them to the edge of the bed. As he sat her on the edge on the edge of the red comforter, she leaned in toward him and rendered him short-less. In turn he reached behind her and unfastened her bra, and she allowed it to slide off down her arms.

Hei pressed her back against the mattress by her shoulders. Hovering over her, he slid his hands slowly down her body. He stopped for a moment to caress her soft bosom. His hands then continued until his fingertips reached the elastic of her panties and in one fluid motion, pulled them down her legs and off her feet.

Misaki's blood coursed through her veins. This was purely passion, animalistic and dark. She wanted to get a little rough with him, like she knew him capable of being, and unleash the pent up frustrations of her years-long obsession.

Hei took a firm hold of her hips as he stood between her legs. Misaki gave him a Kirihara-style hard glare as she commanded him with quiet intensity.

"Take me."

He pulled on her as he thrust. Misaki cried out at the shock to her system as she was forced to stretch. Hei hovered over her once more, resting on his forearms to kiss her with wanton abandon. She wrapped her legs back around his waist with him still buried inside her. With a swift motion he scooped her up and leaned her back up against the wall.

Her insides quivered from the fury of his onslaught. This wasn't her beloved Li in this moment. This was the coveted Hei, the object of a deep-rooted desire. She urged him on as she barked more commands at him to give her more. It escalated into a frenzy as Hei threw them back onto the bed. A insatiable appetite kept them wanting to get impossibly closer, deeper and more tangled up in each other. With a tenacity they both shared, they relentlessly clung to the other, despite the thick humid air between them and slick sweat that coated their skin as they slid effortlessly against each other.

His codename became her mantra as she approached her peak. He called out her name, as he catapulted her to ecstasy. Their bodies released themselves of the immense tension as they shuddered in each other's embrace. They rolled over onto their sides, remaining connected, not yet ready to separate from one another, but needing to breathe.

Hei stroked her cheek with his thumb a moment before leaning in to kiss her softly for the first time since they had gotten back to the hotel. "Promise me, Misaki…"

"Promise you what?" she asked with an incredulous smile.

"That I won't be alone anymore."

The words hit Misaki with the force of a freight truck. She fought between wanting to laugh and wanting to cry. All of the emotions, as well as the answer were written in her teary smile.

"I promise."


	13. Every Moment Counts

**I'd like to thank you all for your patience. There were so many factors as to why this chapter took so long. For those of you who don't know, my band takes up A LOT of my time, as we just released our new album a couple months ago AND are preparing for a two-week European tour (Germany, France, Belgium, England and *hopefully* a stop in Amsterdam) in October. Between that, and all the other musical hats I wear, time and energy to write was nil for a while. I promise you all that the next (AND FINAL!) chapter will NOT take that long. **

**Lastly, a HUGE credit to my ladies Dear4Life and Aerysa. They lent me their AWESOMESAUCE to spice up and perfect this chapter. ~You two were a huge help!~ If you haven't read the entirety of their catalogue...DO IT. Most recent excellence being "Paradox Key" and "A Demon's Demand". ^_~ I'm hooked. **

**This chapter's title is something that, over the last few months, I have learned from someone who really DOES make every moment count: Gackt. Thanks, G, for the inspiration.**

Chapter 13: Every Moment Counts

A pair of deep cerulean eyes slowly opened, peering through strands of dark locks as a polite knock at the door jostled the dreamer from his slumber. The knock reverberated in his now sensitive ears as the previous night's sake binge was lingering in the form of a dull throb in his head.

With a pained groan, he left the warmth of Misaki's embrace and threw on his crumpled yukata to greet who he assumed was room service. Hei's beautiful lover stirred in her sleep at the decrease in temperature, her brow furrowing slightly. Hei paused a moment, admiring the inherent intimacy. He couldn't help a soft smile as she pulled the blankets closer to her in her repose. There then came a second knock, snapping him from his thoughts. Hei unlocked the door, grabbed the doorknob and turned.

"Ohayou, Ishizaki-san, I-"

The young waiter, Michio, stood frozen with an endearing look of absolute confusion on his face as he tried to make sense of the unfamiliar man before him. He checked the ticket, and then looked to the number on the door. He rechecked his sheets with the room information and returned his flabbergasted look toward Hei.

"Maybe I have the wrong room?" It was all the awkward young man could manage.

Hei chuckled and gave him a Li-like smile.

"Ishizaki-san stayed out last night, but Kirihara-san is here. She is still sleeping, but I can take this," Li said politely, gesturing toward the breakfast trays. "Is it possible to place an extra breakfast order with you?"

Michio took a moment to process Li's request and replied, "Hai! Here…"

He pulled out an order form and handed it to an equally awkward Li, fidgeting as Li filled out the request. It was like a mirror of past and present facing itself as Michio shuffled uncomfortably and Li scribbled. Li finally handed the young attendant his order. As he adjusted his glasses to review the completed sheet, Michio's eyes widened at the sheer volume of the order, then scanned the room behind Li for more people in disbelief. In the boy's mind, there was absolutely no way all that food could be for only two people. With a shrug and a nervous scratching of the back of his head, he placed the sheet with the other orders.

"The rest of your breakfast should be here in about thirty minutes, sir," he stated, his voice cracking despite trying to maintain a professional demeanor.

Michio handed Li the two trays and nearly stumbled over himself as he did so.

They bowed to each other and Li let the door close as he turned to carry the trays to the table. After placing them down, he hastily made his way back to the bed shedding the yukata once more to resume his place at Misaki's side.

She stirred further as he pulled the sheets back over him and pulled her back into his arms, wishing away the heavy pulsation in his forehead. Misaki awoke to find Hei's face ever so slightly giving away his discomfort. Her hand gently touched his face as she grimaced.

"Headache?"

He grunted in painful confirmation, "I told you that sake kicks my ass. This is exactly why I don't drink the stuff."

Misaki sat up and didn't even seem to mind that she was completely naked as she sat up, spreading her legs beneath the sheets, and put a pillow in her lap. She patted it in a silent, welcoming command. He repositioned himself and laid his head on her lap and she began rubbing his temples.

Hei was pleasantly surprised at how nurturing the gesture was. He relaxed at her touch and let his eyes drift shut as he murmured, "Amazing…unnngh."

"My mother used to do this to me when I was a kid, whether for a headache, or to just put me to sleep," she reminisced.

He tried to recall ever having someone rub his temples or massage his scalp, as Misaki was doing at that very moment. Amber wasn't all that affectionate outside the couple of nights they spent together. Not that their situation lent much in the way of down time together. Hei, having felt unloved for so long, tried to fathom how any normal woman would want to be romantic and loving with him. However, here he was, with his head on the lap of the woman who had pointed her gun at him on so many occasions.

_She never pulled the trigger…_ He recollected as his head began to clear. He knew deep down that neither of them could have ever brought themselves to kill the other. With that small self-admission, his face relaxed as her ministrations had begun to take effect. After a few minutes, he found his voice as he felt an imminent rumble from his stomach.

"By the way, room service showed with our breakfast…but I ordered more."

Misaki laughed, "Of course you did."

"You should have seen the look on the kid's face," he mused.

"I assume it was Michio-kun: about eighteen, looks a little like you but with glasses…_super_ awkward…"

"Oh yeah, that was him alright." Hei paused as he realized she compared him to the kid. "Wait, how does the kid look like me?"

"Well, similar hair and build…he's a little smaller of course…but it's more of his actions that reminded Kanami and I of 'Li-kun' from the old days."

Hei sniffed with a shake of his head, still resting on the pillow.

"_She_ was the one who brought it up, believe it or not, referring to you as 'Bra boy'."

"You're kidding." He placed his hand over his forehead in mild embarrassment, recalling that day in the department store as Misaki giggled. Hei sighed before redirecting the conversation back to breakfast. "Anyway, _Li_ _the Kid _will be bringing us the rest of our breakfast shortly, so we may want to get robes on."

Misaki feigned a momentary pout before she sighed, agreeing to put their lovely moment behind them. Hei stood and his stomach finally announced its vacancy.

"Sometimes I wish it would just shut up!" he stated with his hand over his middle.

No sooner had they tied their robes, there came the awaited knock on the door. Misaki answered and Michio seemed oddly relieved by the familiar face.

"Ohayou, Kirihara-san! I have your special order," he announced with a blush.

Misaki waved off the comment, explaining, "Oh! Hai…well only a bit of this is for me. My…_companion_ is quite hungry this morning."

Michio blushed as he paused with a few trays of food in his arms.

He handed her the short stack of trays, immediately grabbing more and following her to the table, where Li was already seated and restraining his need to dive into the feast. The frazzled attendant made a couple more trips back and forth between the table and the food cart, which had been packed solely with the astounding volume their order.

With the last stack of trays settled on the dining table, Michio looked at Li with an uncomfortable smile, who merely flashed an overcompensating grin back at him as he scratched the back of his head.

The jostled waiter bowed to them and hurried out the door. As soon as the door shut behind him, Li looked to Misaki with his face already stuffed full and gestured toward the door.

"I think I see what you mean."

Misaki began laughing, reminiscent of their first date. He quickly swallowed and joined her, realizing how ridiculous his act was.

O.o ^_^ o.O ^_^ O.o ^_^ o.O

Kanami awoke in a pair of well-toned arms to the sound of light breathing from behind her. She moved slightly and Daisuke tightened his hold slightly as if she were his own personal teddy bear. He mumbled incoherently as he nuzzled the back of her neck, eliciting a smile.

_I guess Li really is a good judge of character! Daisuke is such an amazing guy. _

Her thoughts suddenly turned to what she now knew about Misaki's seemingly mild-mannered Li. It was hard for her to picture him as the once-ruthless contractor.

_Everyone's got their dirty secrets, I guess…but that's definitely a whopper._

Suddenly she got a somewhat unwanted mental picture of him being all dark and passionate behind closed doors. She sniffed at the thought.

_Whatever floats her boat…and I thought I knew that girl._

Daisuke groaned as he stretched behind her, he in his shorts and she in one of his T-shirts. He spoke softly into her ear, "Are you awake, Kanami?"

It was mid-morning and though Daisuke didn't have to be at work for a few hours, they both knew it was time to get up and get the day in motion. Kanami hummed after contemplating whether or not to pretend she was still asleep and turned towards him.

"Daisuke…you…are an amazing man. I am so glad that Li introduced us."

"Same here. This city is filled with women who are only looking for two things, and I've been taken advantage of one too many times. You are a real woman: intelligent, independent and beautiful."

"Even if it has to be long-distance for some time, while we develop this…_thing_ we have going, I am not interested in seeing anyone else but you."

"Yo kata. I concur," he said, hugging her tightly. "Although, I _will_ miss having you here."

He kissed her forehead as she smiled up at him, hoping to delay the moment's end just a little bit more.

O.o ^_^ o.O ^_^ O.o ^_^ o.O

After stuffing themselves silly, Hei and Misaki decided to go and sit out on the shaded little balcony of the hotel room. His headache had finally subsided after eating, having some tea and downing a whole lot of water. They sat, still in only their robes in a peaceful silence, listening as the birds sang in the courtyard in the trees around them. Misaki took his hand in hers as they rested on the little table between their chairs. She gently examined his hand from his palm to his fingertips; dwelling on what those hands were capable of: agility, strength, power…pleasure and pain, life and death, creation and destruction. Images of various moments passed through her mind; his hands deftly chopping and preparing ingredients to cook; whipping his wires out from his belt in the blink of an eye, accurately grabbing structures to swing from; his hand threatening death upon Horai's head, seemingly avenging his threat upon her; his hands gentle and warm as he touched her body…

The blush on her face as she studied his seemingly unweathered hands caused him to inquire. "What's on your mind?"

She smiled softly before replying, "Your hands."

Hei's gaze fell for a moment, before coming back to her gentle caress on his palm. He remained silent, not knowing how to respond to her. He realized what she was contemplating.

"The gloves help," he managed in a darkly sarcastic tone.

"These hands," Misaki countered, maintaining her somber smile, "although capable of so much power-"

"Death…" he interrupted in a whisper.

"_Strength,_" she shot back, eyeing him. She had finally caught his attention. The suddenly serious brunette searched his melancholy eyes with her reassuring words. "These hands are strong and agile…and despite all the pain you often regret having afflicted on people, they are still gentle and soft; artfully crafting and tenderly caressing…"

On those last words, she pressed her lips to his palm and placed it to cup her cheek, holding it in place as her eyes drifted shut.

"You are unbelievable…" Hei whispered, barely audible above the sweet calls of the birds around them. Misaki opened her eyes once again to meet his to find them as watery as they were blue. He slid forward, out of his chair to his knees before her, his right hand matching his left on Misaki's rosy face and pulled her to meet him halfway in a desperately emotional kiss, the two tears forced down his cheeks to the corners of his mouth. The slightly salty taste permeated the moment making it all that more intense. If Misaki could have poured all of her love for him into one kiss, it was this one – accepting the past, loving the present and hoping for the future.

The storm of emotions passed over as they breathed each other in, pulling out of the kiss and resting their foreheads against each other's as Misaki combed through his shaggy black mane with splayed fingers.

There came from indoors, the sound of the door unlatching. Kanami had returned.

"Misaki, you promised me! We're going shopping!" she called from inside.

Hei quickly wiped away any remaining evidence of their moment from his cheeks and retook his seat before Kanami came bouncing out onto the balcony.

"Li, are you coming with us?"

"Whatever Misaki wants to-"

Kanami clapped her hands excitedly, "Oh! You could totally pick out something sexy for her – for tonight's last 'night-out'!"

Li nearly choked at the idea, glancing over at Misaki with her long, loose, chocolaty tresses falling over her shoulders as she blushed with a playful smirk. He knew instantly, as awkward an idea as it was, that she was definitely considering it.

He smiled genuinely at Kanami, dropping the act for once, and in an honest tone agreed. "I think that would be a great idea."

Kanami squealed with delight, "Aww! You really are perfect for her! You can even get her to go shopping with me!"

She laughed as she went back inside to get dressed for a day out shopping.

Misaki looked dumbfounded from the sliding doors back to Li, suddenly bursting into her now familiar fit of giggles that he had only seen once ever before this week. He joined in, feeling so much lighter than only moments prior.

Misaki also took the opportunity to take a quick shower and dress while Li lounged on the futon. They had decided that since he was located smack between the City Arcade in Okaido and Iyotetsu Takashimaya, they would go to both places. The latter made Misaki groan a little, as Kanami originally promised they wouldn't bother with the hulking nine-story department store.

They took the tram to Shimizumachi and stopped at Li's apartment. While Li was in the bathroom, Misaki instantly made herself at home, grabbing glasses from the small cabinet and pouring herself and Kanami some ice water as they waited for Li to shower and change.

Kanami alternated between observing Li's neat and well-kept living space and Misaki's familiarity with it.

"Well, aren't _you_ the cute little housewife," Kanami snickered as she took the glass from her friend's hand.

"Oh, _can_ it, Kanami. I just know how to fend for myself, and I know he doesn't mind."

Misaki sighed as she plopped herself on the couch and turned on the television. Kanami giggled once again. Misaki shot her a disbelieving look. "Nani yo?"

With a shake of her head, the smile unrelenting, Kanami sat down next to her seemingly changed friend. "You know, this week you're a different woman…and it's all because of _him_."

Misaki paused. "I know…I feel it. He does, too. It's like the pieces just fit themselves together. Everything that I wish could have happened years ago…it just _happened_, as if the time had come for it to finally be."

"Well, you know the old adage," Kanami encouraged.

Misaki noticed how supportive and positive Kanami was being and suddenly became a little suspicious of where it was coming from. "So, this incredibly positive attitude of yours…could it have _anything_ to do with Daisuke?"

"_Mayyyybe…"_ she drawled out with a big grin.

They were interrupted by the bathroom door opening and Li toweling his hair dry. He was wearing light gray cargo shorts and white short-sleeve button down over a black tank top.

"Ready to go, ladies?" he asked with a raised brow and a hint of a smile, giving away ever so subtly that he had heard some of their conversation.

Misaki, catching his expression, cleared her throat and put the glasses in the sink.

Out the door and off they went, Kanami chomping at the bit.

O.o ^_^ o.O ^_^ O.o ^_^ o.O

They arrived at the massive shopping center and beheld the giant Ferris wheel atop the building. The two best friends just stared up at the nine stories of white concrete that towered over them.

Li laughed and placed his hand at the small of Misaki's back. "Come on, it's much cooler and comfortable inside."

"Air conditioning sounds splendid," Kanami concurred with a wink. She only really had one thing in mind and it wasn't the air conditioning.

On the first floor, they had an enormous display of men's and women's yukatas, promoting the festival. Kanami practically dove into the stacks labeled "Sale! 50% off". Li didn't bother with the men's section, but merely followed an ecstatic Kanami into the rows of pastels and florals. Then he almost immediately spotted a lovely spring green yukata with brilliant hibiscus flowers, their pink-red and white petals perfectly contrasting the green that had hints of a pale golden yellow swirling reminiscent of stems in the sunshine. His first thought was, _With Misaki's complexion, why doesn't she ever wear red or green? Red is passionate and green is earthy…she's both those things._

Kanami caught Li staring off at something. She crept up behind him and looked over his shoulder toward the mannequin and the rack full of that particular yukata.

"Hmm…those aren't her usual colors. But you know that."

Li smiled to himself before responding with a nod. "But she'd look so beautiful in them. With her coloring, she could wear so much more than blue, yellow and black. I've seen her in a red Qipao. That was the night she first caught my eye."

Kanami grinned at his reminiscent tone. She grabbed his hand and dragged him toward the end of the aisle where the mannequin stood. Li stood helplessly as Kanami thumbed through to find Misaki's size.

Misaki who had not seen any of what transpired, looked up to find both of them strangely absent. She scanned the room to find Kanami holding up a yukata that she assumed was for herself, until she handed it to Li. A blush instantly crept onto her face. _He is actually picking something out for me that he likes…because he thinks I'll look nice in it?...Kuro no Shinigami fashionista extraordinaire. _

With her last thought she giggled a little. Li caught her giggle and relaxed a little. He'd never done this for someone he _cared_ about. But then again, she was bringing about a lot of 'firsts' for him, it seemed. He approached her and she eyed the yukata with seemingly mild amusement. "You know…I don't remember the last time I wore the color green."

"The colors are perfect for you, inside and out," Li could only manage to awkwardly blurt out the truth.

Kanami's heart nearly exploded at the idea of the notorious contractor being so incredibly sweet to her best friend. "If you keep talking like that, I'm going to steal you away for myself!" she laughed heartily.

Misaki took the garment in hand and, with a knowing smile, she turned and headed toward the dressing room, not waiting to have more things to try on.

Li shuffled anxiously for the few minutes that Misaki took to change into the yukata. Suddenly a door opened and a smile greeted him. "I have to say…you were absolutely right. I definitely need a bit more variety in my wardrobe. I love the colors."

Kanami came bounding up beside Li. "Wow, you have good taste! But you know what? We're not done yet. I think it's her turn to find something for _you._"

Kanami bounded off again in another direction.

Misaki changed back into her sundress, a bit sad that it wasn't as brilliant as the yukata she had just been wearing. Li waited for her until she was ready and then headed off toward the men's yukatas, where Kanami was waiting impatiently.

Misaki decided on the way over to her friend that she didn't want to pick a new yukata for Li, as most of them were in colors he regularly wore. So they headed into the regular shopping departments. As they passed a lingerie boutique, Kanami stopped and giggled.

"This reminds me of when I first met you, Li…" she laughed a little more loudly. "Hah! 'Bra Boy'! That's what I called you! I'm so sorry, Li!"

Li turned a fair shade of red before stammering, "Heh…y-yeah, one of my more awkward moments."

She headed into that boutique. Li and Misaki just looked at each other, a little embarrassed, knowing full well what she was trying to encourage. Li shrugged.

"May as well play along," he stated with a nod. Little did she realize he already had something up his sleeve.

Kanami tugged on Misaki to come help her pick out something for her to wear under that evening's outfit 'for Daisuke'. Li was left alone for a few minutes and it was just enough time to find exactly what he was looking for. Ten minutes later, Misaki realized Li had left the boutique. _He must have been a little uncomfortable. I don't blame him._

The two ladies left the boutique to find him standing there with a small bag from the boutique in his hand. Misaki's heart jumped, realizing he'd bought something for her. Her eyes darted from him to the bag and back.

"You can't peek until later," he smirked.

Misaki raised a brow at him, unable to comprehend where this playful attitude was coming from. "You are just full of surprises today, aren't you?"

Li was about to respond when his stomach stopped everyone dead in their tracks. Kanami was shocked at the sound that emanated from him, never having heard it before. She looked at her completely unfazed friend who merely replied, "Time to grab a quick snack!"

She watched aghast as she didn't flinch, and took his arm and headed down the hall toward the smell of food.

Misaki had never enjoyed a shopping trip so much in entire life. She ended up with a new sundress, a dress for that evening, a new pair of shoes, the yukata, some jewelry, a handbag and the little bag from Li.

Kanami had more bags than she, having spent a small fortune. They ate lunch at the rooftop beer garden on the tenth floor, and eventually found Li a couple of new outfits and a couple pairs of shoes. Kanami was quite proud of herself. Her best friend, the former police chief and her boyfriend, the world's most notorious contractor were picking out clothes for each other and _enjoying_ it. She relished the moment, as she was unsure she would ever see it again.

They never quite made it out of Iyotetsu Takashimaya, as ten floors of dining and shopping proved to be more than even Kanami could handle or afford. They were on the eighth floor and after having stopped for some sweets, they passed an art gallery. Something caught Misaki's eye: a beautiful abstract sculpture that seemed to portray two figures dancing or embracing. It was of a grey-green stone, about forty centimeters tall.

She stopped and went into quickly inquire about it. It was apparently an African soapstone Shona-style sculpture referred to as "Lovers". She bought it and took the weighty parcel with her. Li watched with Kanami from outside the store, completely surprised by her random and impetuous purchase that took place in less than five minutes from the time she went in to the time she exited the store.

They just gawked at her, unable to ask what her motive was. She came to stand before Li and smiled up at him. "This will remind me that I have you…every day until I see you again."

With that, he caressed her cheek softly with his thumb. But she knew he meant so much more with that brief gesture. He just stared down into her eyes for a moment with an ache in his heart. He kept his cool for propriety's sake.

Kanami grimaced as she looked at her phone. She faced it toward them, showing the time, with a cute pout on her face.

"Come on, let's head back. It's already five o'clock," Li stated. "If we're meeting Daisuke at seven for dinner…"

"You can just bring your new clothes and change at the hotel. Go take a dip in the hot spring or something," Misaki suggested.

Li happily agreed, and they made it back to the hotel before six o'clock. Along the way back, Kanami received a call from Daisuke. The restaurant was apparently busy and they would now be meeting at eight. He instructed them to dress up for dinner but to bring a more casual change of clothes for later on. Though a bit inquisitive, they merely agreed to his request. After a twenty minute or so bath, everyone returned to the room, and they ordered some sushi and drinks. After a leisurely aperitif, everyone retreated to get dressed.

While Li was in the bathroom, Kanami and Misaki dug through the spoils of the afternoon's adventure. Misaki instantly bee lined for the bag he had given her. She rustled through the tissue paper and pulled out the first item. Misaki gasped softly at the beautiful dark purple lace demi bra with satin applique scrolling adorning it. Kanami turned to her friend upon hearing her reaction to the gift. Her eyes widened and immediately rushed to Misaki's side to take a closer look.

"That's…_HOT!_" Kanami spoke the words her modest friend had merely thought, and took the luxurious undergarment in hand as Misaki dug for the matching panties. Sure enough, the low-rising bikini was made of matching stretchy lace with more appliqued scrolling along the middle V-shaped portion of the garment. Both were finished with a small central purple bow.

"I guess he thinks I'll look good in purple," Misaki said with a self-satisfied smile, gesturing toward another bag wherein lay her dress for the evening. He had pointed out the simple but lovely thistle colored dress that had a peasant-esque V-neck bust line accented by lace of the same color and cap sleeves, in a very lightweight and slightly sheer material. The lace-lined hemline fell just above her knees. She never wore much purple in recent years, but was pleasantly surprised when trying it on that Li was yet again spot-on in his choice.

"He's absolutely right," Kanami affirmed. "And this label is telling me that he just dropped, at the very least, twenty thousand yen on this hot little combo. It's a French import."

Misaki jolted a little bit at that fact.

Kanami leaned toward her and kept her voice down as she added, "Your sentimental hunk of a contractor surely spares no expense."

Misaki turned a bright shade of red in the realization that she had yet to reciprocate, to any comparable degree, all the wonderful things he had done over the last five days.

_He really has doted on me a bit the last few days…I'll make it up to him, eventually._

When the girls entered the sitting area of the suite, they found Li looking absolutely dashing in a suit that echoed Misaki's color scheme. He wore a light grey suit with a lavender dress shirt and a tie that blended various muted shades of purple and greys in an irregular array of diagonal stripes.

He stood with a confident smile and unashamedly raked his eyes from head to toe and back again over his beautiful date in the dress that she purchased at his recommendation. Misaki could no longer restrain the giddy laugh.

"I guess it's a good color for both of us! You look wonderful, Li."

In the back of her mind, Kanami wanted to get a picture of the two of them, with huge grins and being so adorable. However, she knew that Misaki wouldn't want any current evidence of her relationship with the notorious contractor, despite wanting to keep the memory. Her work kept Misaki a bit guarded and Kanami knew that. She sighed in dismissal of the thought, turning her thoughts toward the handsome man whose arrival she awaited.

O.o ^_^ o.O ^_^ O.o ^_^ o.O

Once again, the trio found themselves being treated lavishly by the suave businessman. They had headed into town in Daisuke's silver Mercedes to a cozy little gourmet restaurant called Kappo Kotobuki. They ate and drank at a relaxed pace and Daisuke refused to let them pay a single yen. The dinner was mostly fresh fish and other traditional fare with an artful, modern twist. Kanami didn't stop gushing about the O-toro. They sipped on fine wines, smoother than any wine Misaki could ever recall drinking in her life. As Daisuke poured out the last of the most recent bottle, to his friends he proposed a toast.

"This has been a simply mind-blowing week." He smiled thoughtfully at each and every one of them as they nodded back. "I truly believe that fate has brought us all together, and that after this experience, our lives will never be the same. I am so thankful for this happy circumstance."

Daisuke raised his glass and saluted, "To all the best that the future can bring."

They all followed suit and cheered, "Kanpai!"

They sipped away a moment of silence when Daisuke announced the next part of their evening. "I have a little surprise for you guys. Mitsuo Yamaguchi, an old friend from Osaka, is in town. He owns a bunch of the marinas in Ehime and Kochi prefectures, and a few elsewhere along the Shikoku shoreline. Anyway…" Daisuke paused to sip from his glass. "He is throwing a private after-hours beach party out on Hojo Kashima. The public are off the island by eight o'clock. Yamaguchi-san has some friends who allowed him the opportunity to throw the party. There are going to be a lot of important people from Matsuyama-shi just hanging out and partying till the early hours. He went above and beyond to ensure that his friends and their guests will just come and relax on the beach. The man loves to light a rather large bonfire." Daisuke laughed, recalling past memories, before finishing. "I was instructed to get us there on the hour or half-hour, up until midnight, for a boat out. Then we're on the island till at least three in the morning."

"I assume that's why you told us to bring a casual change of clothes, then?" Misaki asked, Daisuke immediately nodding to confirm her suspicion. "I was wondering about that."

The two couples made their way north, taking a detour around that night's parade route and stopping first at Daisuke's home to change. They continued on to a marina in Hojo.

It was already half-past ten and they caught the boat before it left the dock. The ride was a brief few minutes before the small motorboat was pulling up to the beach on the far side of the island where a bonfire raged, larger than any of the other three had ever seen before. As soon as they stepped out of the boat, they were greeted by a rather short man who directed them toward people pouring beer, wine, sake and other liquors for the guests.

"Excuse me, but have you seen Yamaguchi-san?" Daisuke asked the man. He pointed toward a group of people standing around in conversation about twenty meters away. He spotted his old friend instantly and smiled.

"That's him alright." He turned to his companions and said, "Let's get served, then I'll introduce you all."

They wandered over and a tall, slightly lanky individual turned and grinned at Daisuke. "I was wondering when you were getting here!"

Mitsuo gave Daisuke a hearty slap on the back, already seemingly feeling the effects of his drink as he laughed. "Which of these two lovely women is your new lady friend?"

"Kanami Ishizaki, Yamaguchi-san, nice to meet you," she replied with a small bow.

Mitsuo laughed again, "You are a delight! Welcome to our crazy world of businessmen. We play as hard as work."

"I'm sure she'll have no problem keeping up with Daisuke-san," Misaki piped in with a chuckle. Mitsuo grinned with a raise of his brow. "That's good to hear! And you are?"

"Misaki Kirihara." She bowed and Li joined in with one as well also introducing himself. "Li Shengshun."

"Ah, from across the way, eh? How long have you been here in Japan?"

"Eh…about five years or so. I came to study in Tokyo."

"Wonderful! Well, please I hope all of you will make yourselves comfortable somewhere around the fire and enjoy the night on the beach." He looked back to Daisuke. "I have to finish this conversation first, but I'll be over to play catch up!"

Daisuke nodded and they headed around the intense flames, settling down at a large blanket a little further from the fire near some rocks. With shoes and sandals promptly removed, they sat back and sank into the sand to savor the brilliantly clear summer evening.

O.o ^_^ o.O ^_^ O.o ^_^ o.O

The night was leisurely and the three newcomers were introduced to many wealthy businessmen as well as the mayor of the city and his wife, and a few other higher officials of the prefecture government. There was much polite, albeit drunken, small talk and everyone was in good spirits.

The bonfire raged on and Hei suddenly felt the need to break away from the rest of the party for a while. He nudged Misaki gently with a soft "Hey." Her gaze, which had been fixated on the frolicking flames in front of her, snapped to his. "Let's go for a walk," he suggested with a tilt of his head toward the softly cresting waves on the shoreline. She smiled knowingly, mellowed by the plum wine she'd been drinking. Hei got to his feet and extended a hand to the complacent brunette. Once on her feet, Misaki gave a single wave to Kanami, who eyed her from Daisuke's side.

Misaki and Hei walked leisurely hand in hand, relishing the feel of the cool ocean waters nipping at their ankles as it washed over their footsteps. For a few long minutes there were no words between them. It was the desire to savor their final evening together that kept them from expressing the ache they both already felt so intensely. Misaki's heart panged knowing that the next time she'd see him wouldn't be for a couple months, around her own birthday…_If I can even get away from work._

Hei had noticed the somber look that settled on her features, knowing what she was dwelling upon. He stopped short with a sigh, causing her to turn instantly and look straight into those mirrors of the night sky.

"Misaki," he begged softly, "please don't worry about tomorrow."

Her eyes began to reflect the stars in forming tears. "Gomen ne…" She went to avert her gaze but Hei caught her cheek in the palm of his hand and gently guided her mouth to his.

There was a promise sealed wordlessly in the sweet sensation of his lips clinging to hers. She synchronized effortlessly with his advance, taking in the taste of plum wine mingled with his own intoxicating flavor, unique to her one and only love. When her worries were momentarily assuaged, she released the kiss and beheld his endearing smile. Finally, she exhaled a long-held breath, her mind and body finally relieved of its tension.

They walked a little farther, out of sight of the party, when suddenly Misaki had an idea. Hei heard her giggle as she let go of his hand and bounded into the waves. She dove in, little green sundress and all, without a care in the world. He stared after her in disbelief. It was such an impetuous action for someone who seemed so sad a moment ago. He perked up as her head broke the water's surface and she called to him.

"Come on, Li-kun! The water's glorious!"

Hei shook his head as he reluctantly headed away from the reach of the waves and tossed his wallet and keys in the sand. He sprinted through the sand and dove in after her, swimming the ten or so meters out to where she was treading water. He shook the wet hair from his eyes with a grin like no other. "You're crazy, you know that? Amazing, but crazy."

"I've always loved swimming!" Misaki laughed and ducked back under the water. Hei couldn't see her in the darkness, and couldn't determine where she would pop up next. Not until he felt a disturbance in the water behind him. However, it was too late as in that very instant, Misaki wrapped her arms around him.

"_Sneaky!_" Hei exclaimed giving away his surprise.

After a few more minutes of flirtatious splashing and laughs, the two swam back in. The soaked couple flopped down unceremoniously in the sand and stared up at the sky, catching their breath. As they laid side by side in meditative silence, it occurred to both of them that they were doing the one thing that truly brought them together the first day they spent with each other in Tokyo: pondering the heavens.

"You know," Misaki began, breaking the silence, "I meant what I said that day."

Not completely sure of what she was speaking of, Hei gave her a sideways look that urged her to explain further.

"That night at the ball field, while everyone was waiting for the real stars…You had commented that the stars were all fakes."

Hei smiled lightly, reminiscing with her as she continued. "But I countered you by telling you that if all the fake stars disappeared, that would be sad in its own right."

Hei chuckled, "I remember you saying that. In the moment, I just thought you were onto me."

"And I was," Misaki replied without missing a beat. "But I still meant it. And it wasn't until your advice about following my instincts that I _knew_."

"How is that?"

"Jack…November 11…" she paused with a mournful air in her tone. "He told me to do the same thing the last time I saw him."

Hei let out an unimpressed "Hmmph."

Misaki grimaced, feeling the need to defend the late contractor. "You know, Hei," she said, deliberately catching his attention with his codename. "He wasn't a bad guy." He merely raised a brow at her.

"He had my back a couple of times when he didn't have to. It hadn't necessarily been the logical thing to do. Especially to meet with me in secret to give me information and that advice," she divulged quite matter-of-factly. "Had it been under different circumstances, you two could have worked well together."

"You really believed in him, eh?" he asked, a hint of resignation in his question. He recalled Huang informing him of 'the MI6 pretty boy' defecting to EPR and ending up dead.

"I did," she confirmed turning on her side to face him, propping her head up in her hand. "Jack betrayed his organization to do what he felt was right."

Hei took those words to heart, as they rang all too familiar. The moment in the gate, in which all of his life flashed before his eyes, came to mind. He realized that Jack had been there amongst the group of people rooting for him.

"He was there in the gate with me that day. The moment we all should have been obliterated, Xing talked me out of it along with Huang and Mao. Havoc, Wei Zhi Jun, Jack and a few others were there as well. They all told me to be both human and contractor. Amber went and turned time back with the last of her power so that I could stop the Syndicate myself."

"Who's Xing?" she asked somewhat confused.

"That's my sister's real name."

Misaki smiled as she sat upright. "Well, I'm here now, telling you the same thing."

Hei sat up abruptly and looked at her, taken off guard. "You're right. You all were right." He curled his arm around her back with a sigh. "I have taken these last years to decompress and reassess my life. I was ready to just be as human as I could be. This new conclusion…it's a hard pill to swallow."

"But it doesn't have to be that way. We will be working together and we will combine our strengths…"

"…And also our weaknesses." A look of concern washed over him. "If the wrong people ever were to discover our relationship…"

"It's a risk we can't avoid taking. It will be alright…I'm ready whenever you are." Misaki took his free hand in hers reassuringly. "Besides, there are a lot of people on our side, fighting for the same justice and freedoms. We will have them, as well as each other, every step of the way."

Hei curled her into his arms, despite their sandy and salty state, and just held her. Pressing a firm kiss to her head, he smirked at her.

"You truly are a woman of resolve."

"Damn right."

With a chuckle, they laid back into the sand and returned to their stargazing.


	14. The Heart Grows Fonder

**First, I'd like to thank all of you who have been reading my story over the last year. I've had so many great conversations with many of you, and have been happy to share in our mutual passion for writing. It's kept me going to the finish line. A special shout out to three fantastic writers, Dear4Life, Aerysa, & Sakabatou77, who have been a constant inspiration since I joined this community. Arigatou gozaimashita.**

**PEACE, LOVE, & FANFICTION!**

**~Destinies Entwined**

_**Without further ado...**_

* * *

><p><span>Chapter 14: The Heart Grows Fonder<span>

Steam hung heavy in the air, clinging to the glass and accumulating in thick droplets that streaked down toward the floor. It burned hot in their lungs with every sharp inhalation. Fingers smoothed easily over slick skin as the water pattered rhythmically against the ceramic tiles. Misaki's drenched mane clung to her soft curves as Hei held her in a passionate embrace. His tongue dragged slowly and deliberately along her collarbone to the base of her neck. The taste was an enrapturing blend of slightly salty water and her sweet essence that he was so enthralled by.

A groan rumbled deep in Misaki's throat. The sound shot straight up Hei's spine and in a kneejerk reaction, he sank his teeth lustfully into the crook of her neck and savored her with lips, teeth and tongue. Her knees wobbled beneath her, and her arms around his neck gripped tighter. Hei leaned her back against the shower wall and pressed himself eagerly against her. With a new steadiness found, the unraveled brunette ran her fingertips down her dark lover's beautifully defined chest and over the ripples in his abdomen. She was made well aware of his burning desire as he pressed his pelvis to hers. Her whole body tingled. There was a sense of desperation and urgency in his actions; an unquenchable need for communion.

The hot water reflected off Hei's back relentlessly as he practically devoured her. And unlike her aggressive behavior the night before, Misaki wanted him to envelop her, and just _take_ her. For the first time she completely indulged her feminine side and let him take control. She gasped his name as he slid fingers down along her most sensitive place. The aroused brunette instinctively matched his gesture and wrapped her fingers around him. Those midnight blue eyes drifted shut as her hand maintained a firm and calculated movement. He exhaled and his head came to rest on her shoulder where his mouth had previously been, panting against her for a long moment. For those few seconds, Misaki had thought the tables had turned and that her Black Reaper was suddenly turning to putty at her touch.

She thought wrong.

With a low growl, he lifted her up, forcing her to release her grip on him and return her arms to wrap around his neck. In one swift motion, he was inside of her. There was nowhere to move between his flexing muscles and the wall, except with the opposing forces of gravity and Hei's thrusts. The moisture that clung to them and the walls abated much of the friction of their motions. Her weight against his unrelenting hardness brought on waves of pleasure she had yet to ever experience. It was a whole different sensation that washed over her.

Hei obeyed the rush of blood in his veins. The overwhelming need to be ultimately connected to his woman, buried in her most sacred place. Her whimpers stoked the raging fire within him. He felt so possessive in that moment, like he had claimed her and she submitted to him completely. A side of her she kept well-hidden, except now for him. He ached in his heart, as if there was some way to get closer and more connected. It was an emotion he had never felt in his life. He uttered his claim on her love in a content moan.

"Misaki…_my_ Misaki…"

Hei pressed his mouth to hers, entangling their tongues in a fervent kiss. She groaned into him and claimed his bottom lip with her teeth. They continued in their unyielding cadence to yet unknown heights. A flame ignited within Misaki and the tingling heat spread throughout her body as every muscle in her body seized up in pure ecstasy. Hei followed shortly after, feeling her tense up on him, the full weight of him securing her in place as he succumbed to their passion. He returned his head to rest in the crook of her neck as they caught their breath. After a long minute, he lifted his head and slowly slid her back to her feet. She stayed in his embrace a moment and rested her head on his chest.

"I _am_…" she murmured. She looked back up to him with a soft smile. "I am _your_ Misaki."

He heaved a sigh at her admission and held her tightly. As he released her, he kissed her gently and turned her toward the spray of the shower. He handed her a washcloth, took the other in his own hand and lathered it up with soap. They spent a few more quiet minutes under the falling water, taking turns tenderly caressing away the sweat and salt of the day from each other. There could not have been a more soothing end to an emotional day than the gentle touch of lather in a lover's hand.

They eventually retired to his bedroom and easily slipped under the covers and into slumber curled up together.

O.o ^_^ o.O ^_^ O.o ^_^ o.O

Misaki awoke to the sound of a knife deftly chopping away and things boiling and sizzling on the stove. The smell of breakfast permeated the apartment, causing her stomach to grumble. Lazily, she rolled out of the comfort of his bed. She sighed, knowing this would be the last time for a while she would experience this moment. She looked around in the morning light, making mental pictures of her surroundings to keep close at heart. She thought hard about how hard it was for him to let go of so much pain and strife since she last saw him. Observing how calm everything around him had now become.

_Would he ever be truly ready to leave this comfortable space?_ she wondered.

The college station was playing their Sunday morning jazz program as Li happily prepared a feast. He turned when he heard the gentle sliding of his bedroom door. They smiled at each other as she came out, once again, unabashedly in her underwear and one of his black tank tops. She padded over to him and wrapped her arms around his waist from behind. "Ohayou, koibito," she said with a kiss on his shoulder.

Li chuckled and looked over his shoulder at her and replied, "Ohayou."

She was quiet a moment as she watched him cook. He caught a little smirk on her face as she did so. Curiosity got the best of him. "What's _that _face for?"

"Just thinking about how much money I'm going to save on eating out if we cook all the time…" She caught herself, retracting her words a bit with a blush, "I mean…whenever you decide to come to Tokyo, that is…no pressure."

He chuckled softly, knowing full well she wanted him to be with her as much as he did. He had already been sorting things out in his head the past couple days, and had already begun planning a course of action. How long it would take to work out, he didn't know.

"By the way," he said, suddenly changing the subject, "I'm going to get out and buy a cell phone, so I can keep in touch."

"Perfect," Misaki said with a grin. "I'll leave you my info." She paused a moment in realization. "I can't believe I haven't given it to you yet."

"You haven't needed to," Li teased lightly.

They didn't rush their morning meal; relishing every moment, every bite. The girls' plane wouldn't leave till mid-afternoon, so they planned on grabbing lunch all together near the airport.

O.o ^_^ o.O ^_^ O.o ^_^ o.O

When they arrived back at the hotel, they found Kanami trying to cram an overstuffed suitcase. She was leaning into it with the full weight of her body, yet it refused to close.

Misaki laughed at the spectacle. "That's what you get for being a shopaholic."

She grabbed her own suitcase and methodically folded and packed every little loose article. She had room to spare, and alleviated Kanami's luggage enough for it to shut.

Meanwhile, Li sat on the futon quietly as the girls readied themselves. He considered how these last six days had been a revelation. He had spent the last few years grieving and recovering from half a lifetime of turmoil and loss. He had found solace and peace in the hum and rhythm of normal life; he had found healing in meditation and music. _And now…_

It had seemed strangely longer than a week. It had churned up a whole wealth of emotions that he'd yet to fully allow himself to experience, along with numerous truths and new sensations to process. She had awoken them. The former police chief, Misaki Kirihara, who had been searching for him and waiting for him, took everything he'd been harboring in his heart and turned it on its head. In a matter of days she had made him feel like a whole new person: one that was both his old self and his new self, with something incredibly invigorating that he'd never felt before. A word came to mind that he was hesitant to repeat aloud, until he was absolutely sure of it.

He observed her as she went about her routine, oblivious to his trained gaze. He pondered returning to Tokyo, and how he would be received by the remnants of Section 3 and Madame Oreille. His stomach still turned slightly at the idea of working with that woman again. _However, if Misaki trusts her motives…_He realized that she probably had more inside info on events before he fled the city than what Kobayashi had given him. Part of him wanted to learn more about the truth. If Misaki knew it, he would follow her.

In flashes, he began to imagine what it would be like to work by her side every day. He noted mentally to someday train Misaki to use grappling wires and such. _She's light on her feet and pretty strong…She would do well with it._ He considered how Tokyo's environment has probably changed since the American occupation, and how it would affect him and Misaki living an inconspicuous life. These thoughts gave him more to consider in how much care he would need to take, but it would take much more than caution to deter him from reassuming his destined role.

It had been over five years since that fateful day that, after destroying the Saturn System, he overheard Horai blast her for choosing a third path, in defiance of the Syndicate's credo. In that moment, Hei had saved her life, acting on a gut feeling. Now more than ever, he was glad he did.

He was brought back to reality by a soft hand combing through his hair. He closed his eyes, succumbing momentarily to the comforting gesture. Suddenly her breath tickled his cheek as she spoke softly close to the side of his face.

"Ever the deep thinker…" She sighed, kissing his cheek and eliciting a crooked smile from him. He merely nodded, giving her a knowing sideways look... She placed one more kiss, this time to his temple, before standing to continue her final room check.

It was nearly time to depart, and Michio arrived with a luggage cart. After having loaded all the girls' baggage and advised them as to the checkout procedure, they all headed down to the lobby.

O.o ^_^ o.O ^_^ O.o ^_^ o.O

Daisuke met them near the airport for lunch, insisting on a place called Furawādainingu Juniwa. With it being a beautiful midsummer afternoon, complete with pleasant offshore breeze, they sat outside in a well-manicured garden in the shade of a tree.

Once again, it seemed the gregarious restaurateur knew quite a few people at the establishment, and they knew where to seat them and what to bring them without even looking at a menu.

Yet another meal of beautiful plates of food, decorated with floral accents. Anything from sushi, salads and hors d'oeuvres to beef, seafood and vegetable dishes bore their trademark of edible flowers. The bright colors and intense flavors artfully combined to give the diner a new kind of experience. The girls ogled every plate placed on the table. Things smelled and tasted as delicious as they looked.

Unfortunately, this last meal together wouldn't last as long as others they had shared. The time of departure was drawing nearer. As they finished their desserts, a somber silence hung in the air, as they avoided the farewells that would soon follow. No one spoke at first, until Misaki cleared her throat.

"You know…I almost didn't come on this trip," she said flatly. There were raised eyebrows all around the table, inquiring further explanation.

"Kanami of all people would know, and even Li can attest to this, that I am very involved in my work. But…" Misaki paused as a sentimental smile eased its way onto her lips. "I am glad I put the work aside for once. This is the first vacation I have taken in over a decade. Kanami's like my sister. I couldn't say no to her on her birthday. And now…" Her eyes looked from Kanami to Daisuke and finally to Li. "My life is forever changed."

She looked back to her best friend, who had gotten misty-eyed, and said, "Thank you."

Kanami gave her a hug and giggled, "You're welcome…and maybe from now on, you'll listen to me a little more often."

A warm hand grabbed Misaki's as she settled back into her seat.

"In that case, I'm thankful you got her to come with you, as well," Li said humbly.

"Cheers to that," Daisuke replied. "What a lovely happenstance!"

They began to gather their belongings as Daisuke turned to Li. "You know, Li, I'll be heading to Tokyo for a conference a month from now. You're welcome to come up there with me for a few days and visit the ladies."

Li smiled and politely refused him, "Unfortunately, September gets quite busy with the university students returning and the beautiful late summer weather. Taking time off will be really difficult."

"That's too bad, Li," Daisuke replied with a slight grimace, though it quickly dissipated. "But you have my number, so give me a call if you change your mind…or just to hang out. Don't be a stranger."

Kanami chimed in. "No worries, we'll be back for the Fall Matsuri and Misaki's birthday."

"Well…I'd _like_ to. It all depends on work, of course."

Kanami heaved a loud sigh as she shook her head.

Misaki felt a hint of rage ignite as the stress of her job conflicting with her personal life was an issue for the first time in her life. "_You_ try working as a private investigator and ask for two weeks off in two months! Of course I want to come back, but do you really think it's going to be that easy? Criminals don't take vacations, Kanami!"

As the frustrated brunette glared at her friend, she felt a pair of hands rest on her shoulders and give them a light squeeze. "Oi…Misaki…I'll be happy to see you whenever you can get here. If not October…then maybe for the winter holidays…" He smiled and leaned in from behind her and kissed her cheek. "We _have_ to spend New Year's together."

Misaki's stress was quelled almost instantly, assuming that the underlying message meant his aim was the end of the year. _ That's a lot sooner than I thought._

She nodded as her features softened. "Sorry, Kanami. You know I'm under a lot of stress. I don't think I ever realized it until I knew what a real vacation felt like."

Daisuke laughed, "Sounds like you need a new line of work, Kirihara-san." He looked at his watch and his smile faded. "Time to go, my friends."

They hopped into Daisuke's Mercedes and they headed over to the airport.

They pulled up in front of the terminal, amongst the hustle and bustle, to unload the luggage from the trunk and say their goodbyes. The four of them simply stood there speechless for a moment, until Daisuke spoke up and broke the silence.

"Kirihara-san, it has been a lovely time, and I have you to thank. If it hadn't been for you and Li-san, I wouldn't have met this amazing woman. I look forward to seeing you again soon."

They shook hands, and Kanami stepped forward to Li and surprised him with a big hug. "I am so happy we ran into you," she said under her breath. "Misaki is a new woman, thanks to you. She's finally found the man of her dreams."

She pulled away and gave Li a knowing smile to counter the mild shock on his face. Li couldn't help the sneaking suspicion that Kanami now knew the truth. But her words and smile were genuinely kind, assuaging any fear. _If she does know, I doubt she'd ever tell. _

Daisuke gave Kanami a big hug and just held her a moment, kissing her temple as he pulled away. "I'll be seeing you in a few weeks, my dear," he affirmed.

She nodded and replied, "I'll be giving you a call when I get in this evening."

Li and Misaki just stood facing each other, both hands clasped in the others'. They couldn't help but contemplate the last week in this final moment. Misaki realized that a grin had spread from ear to ear on her face. She let loose words bubbling from her overflowing heart. "Finding you has changed my life…I am so glad."

Li smiled back and hummed in agreeance as he kissed her forehead and let it linger a moment to inhale her scent.

She had to ask the question once more. "So, do you believe in Fate?"

Li laughed lightly as he pulled her into his arms. "I think I'm giving 'Fate' a second chance."

"Good."

He pulled out of the hug and kissed her softly on the lips. "You've spoiled me this week. My apartment's going to feel so empty now."

"Well, at least we can keep in touch. Go get that phone and text me. I'll call you when I get into Tokyo."

"Sure thing, Misaki." He stopped and whispered, "Damn, I'm going to miss those lips."

He leaned in for another, slightly heated kiss, much less chaste than the last. Misaki gently pulled away, "As much as I don't want to go…" Her eyes searched out the terminal entrance and then returned to those deep blue eyes she loved so much.

"I know," the dark-haired contractor sighed. He gave her a squeeze and released her to grab her suitcase.

With a final wave as they walked away, the two best friends left their men behind them.

O.o ^_^ o.O ^_^ O.o ^_^ o.O

A few hours later, after they landed at Narita, Misaki was eager to turn her mobile back on. Sure enough, the phone beeped with a message notification. She grinned as she opened the message as they made their way to the luggage bay.

"_Here's my number. Can't wait to talk to you. ~Ai"_

Misaki was tickled by his use of "Ai". The character he used was not that of "love" but of "indigo". _How clever…and adorable at the same time._

She sighed aloud, "Oh, Li-kun."

Kanami watched the whole thing and couldn't hold back her curiosity any longer. "So did he message you already? I mean, doesn't he have to be careful about communicating in the first place, never mind with _you_?"

"Yes, and yes," Misaki replied, showing her the phone. "See?"

Kanami shook her head and chuckled, "Are you _sure_ he's who you say he is. He's so sweet, my teeth hurt. It's a cute little wordplay, but so obvious!"

"Oh, come off it, Kanami. It's only obvious to us because we _know," _she replied as she texted Li back.

"True…but it's still super sappy," Kanami said with a giggle as she grabbed their bags off the conveyor belt.

O.o ^_^ o.O ^_^ O.o ^_^ o.O

Misaki had settled herself in at home and began to unpack her suitcase, when her phone rang. She smiled and hit the green button to answer.

"_I couldn't help myself. I got your text earlier, but I got impatient,"_ the voice on the line said smoothly.

"It's alright; I am just getting myself situated. Your timing is perfect, koibito."

"_So desu ka! Well, I've been thinking about something. I know you spend a lot of time with Mao…"_

"Yeah, speaking of the fur ball, I'm surprised he hasn't come scratching at my patio door yet. He usually comes by when he knows I'm going to be home. I'll feed him and let him sleep on the papasan."

"_Well, I was thinking at first you shouldn't tell anyone about us…but I do trust him. And I'm sure he'd like to know I'm all right."_

"I'll make sure he knows to keep it quiet for now, especially since we'll be breaking the news to everyone else when you eventually come to Tokyo."

"_Exactly. No one else needs to know for the time being."_ Hei's voice drifted off.

"You okay over there?" Misaki asked sensing his hesitation.

"_I'm keeping my fingers crossed for your birthday."_

"Me too, but if I'm going to consider my current case and stay in Kobayashi-san's good graces without arousing suspicions, I can't promise anything. But, I will try my best."

"_It's the nature of the beast. Well, I have to get back to work. I'll talk to you later, Misaki."_

"Okay. Call whenever you want. Goodnight, _Ai._"

There was a light chuckle on the other end before he replied, _"That goes the same for you…Oyasumi."_

She ended the call and just stared at the phone with a sigh. "This is going to be a long couple of months."

Misaki made a quick call to Kobayashi to let him know she was back from her trip and that she would be in the next day. It was an easy and unassuming call, putting her back into business mode. Despite that it was getting late, she began sorting through her files, spending over two hours organizing what she'd be working on for the week and getting her head back in the game.

…Until there came the familiar scratch at her patio door.

Misaki went over and let Mao in the sliding door. "Were you in the neighborhood?"

The feline contractor stretched, making himself at home. "Yeah. I knew you were coming back today, but when I heard from Kobayashi that you had called…"

"You figured some air conditioning would be amazing," Misaki replied with a smirk.

Mao stumbled over himself, slightly surprised by her uncharacteristic jesting. "Well, yes…but, of course I wanted to see how your trip was and whatnot."

"Well, it was definitely relaxing. Kanami and I went out everywhere. We went shopping, _of course_. There was a day at the beach and a beach party another night. We ate at a lot of nice restaurants…soaked in the hot springs, did some drinking…danced at the festival…" her voice floated off with her mind as she recalled dancing to the beat of the daiko with her eyes trained solely on_ him._

"Oi, Misaki!" Mao called out, startling the pensive brunette.

"Eh? Sorry, I got lost in my head for a minute there."

Her phone beeped with a message. Knowing who it was most likely from, she checked her phone.

"_Definitely got spoiled. Miss you. Hope you are sleeping well."_

Misaki's cheeks got warm as she giggled nervously, trying not to give away her feelings too easily.

Mao cocked his head to the side. _Misaki's acting strange. Well, for her, anyway…_

"Do you mind if I stay here in the AC tonight, Misaki?" Mao tried to redirect the conversation.

"Of course you can, Mao. I was just giving you a hard time before," Misaki replied while mindlessly playing with her star necklace that she had worn all day.

Mao noticed the necklace. "That's a very pretty necklace. One of your souvenirs, I assume?"

"O-oh, yes, I bought this on Tuesday. It's hand-made."

Mao just shook his head. "It's a star, eh? I don't even need to ask why you bought a star pendant… Seriously. You are not yourself. What is going _on_ with you?"

Just then, it hit Misaki as how to break the news to her friend and associate.

She feigned a sigh. "The truth is, Mao…I met a guy in Matsuyama."

Mao stepped back in shock. "Wait. _You,_ Miss 'Career-First', who doesn't have time for relationships…?"

"Yup. He's really nice." She nervously repositioned the pillow on the papasan, avoiding his scrutinizing stare.

"Well, he must be something amazing to catch the attention of the woman obsessed with the world's most notorious contractor."

Misaki blushed hard, laughing. "He's a chef, actually…and a part-owner of a ramen stand."

"What? That's it? You fell for a _ramen chef_? Really, Misaki, I know the way to your heart is food, but I expected more of you…" Mao shook his head. "What's his deal, then?"

"Well, he's about one-meter-eighty tall, thin but very muscular…Chinese, with dark shaggy hair and dark blue eyes; and has one hell of an appetite."

Mao's eyes grew wide. His mouth hung agape as the description was all too familiar. "No _way_…that sounds just like…"

Misaki grinned deviously at him. "A guy by the name of Li? Loves the color black? Great kisser? That's him all right."

Mao was completely flabbergasted. "Y-you found Hei?!"

"Shhhh!" Misaki quieted him. "The walls have ears. But, he wanted you to know. We just can't say anything until he's ready to come back to Tokyo."

Mao was dizzied by the information he was trying to process. "Wait..so you and Hei…"

"Are together? Yes." The former police chief answered his inferred question. Mao was still frozen, unable to wrap his mind around what he'd just heard. Misaki patted his head, bringing the contractor back to reality.

"Sit, I'll grab you some water and explain the whole week to you…"

Misaki eventually took a seat next to Mao and explained everything, from their chance meeting, to Kanami unknowingly roping him into coming out, as well as eventual confessions and attraction. She told him about what Hei had been through since and why he had disappeared into obscurity.

"So, let me get this straight," Mao began, "Yin has died, as we had suspected. He buried her and moved southward and came to stay in Matsuyama-shi." Misaki confirmed with a nod and blew on her hot tea. The black cat continued to think aloud. "It's just… Meditation? Jazz music? That doesn't sound like the Hei I knew. The ramen stand, on the other hand, makes complete sense."

Misaki agreed. "He's obviously been taking time to heal. Having been through a half-lifetime of turmoil, I can understand why he took that opportunity to get the hell away from it all."

Suddenly it dawned on Mao, what she had said earlier. "Wait, so you had said something before about Hei coming back to Tokyo."

Misaki sipped her tea before replying. "He wants to come back…to be with me," she admitted with a blush. "And also to come back to stand up for the justice we both believe in."

Misaki felt the hot tears form in her eyes as she reflected upon everything that had led up to the present situation. "Mao…I was right this whole time. I followed my instincts…and they were right."

She laughed as they fell from the corner of her eyes, "Hell, he calls me 'koibito'! How crazy is that? Hahaha!"

Mao just looked at her in this oddly emotional state and shook his head, "You are losing it, Misaki. Although, I must say that is quite an uncanny turn of events. So…when is he coming back?"

"Not sure yet, he has to work out some details concerning the business from what I understand. He can't just up and leave. Besides, I think he still needs time to process uprooting once again and returning to all the chaos. It's an internal battle I can't help him fight without bias." She wiped the streaks off her cheeks and stood to bring her empty mug to the kitchenette.

"He's going to come and work with us? I didn't think he'd ever work with Madame Oreille again, after what she put him through," Mao mused as he followed her and jumped up on a counter to be more at face level. "How are you going to break it to Kobayashi?"

"That's the thing, Mao. You can't breathe a _word_ until he comes back and we go to Goro to talk to him," Misaki stated firmly.

"You have my word. Just keep me in the loop," Mao promised. He jumped back down to the floor and wandered back to the papasan. "You know…Hazuki-san will _not_ take that news well."

Misaki snorted at the comment and waved him off as she headed for her bedroom, "Good_night_, Mao."

O.o ^_^ o.O ^_^ O.o ^_^ o.O

A few weeks passed and it was now mid-September. Daisuke had come and gone for his conference and Kanami was being inducted into the organization as the new supervisor for their doll network. She had been looking for a new job when Kobayashi had approached Misaki about acquiring someone more qualified to work with the dolls. One night, after her first meeting, Mao and Kanami had returned with Misaki to her apartment for dinner.

"Wow, Misaki. That chick has the _hots_ for _you_! What's Li gonna say?" Kanami teased.

Mao laughed at the idea of those two duking it out over the officer-turned-rogue, "Oh, they have already met. It won't be pretty."

Misaki ignored the comment as it made her realize something more important. "Oh, by the way, Kanami, Mao was on Li's team when he worked for the Syndicate…so you _both_ know all about it."

"Oh, so Mao knows you're '_Mrs. _BK-201'," Kanami said slathering her words with melodrama.

"The last time I was that _shocked_ by something, I had awoken to November 11 completely in the nude," the cat recalled with a shudder. "But I'm relieved to know that he's alright."

"Oh, he's more than _all right_, now that she's, ahem, _taking care of him,_" Kanami drawled.

"I did _not_ need to hear that!" Mao groaned.

"So, speaking of Hei," Misaki said, quickly changing the subject as she turned to the two of them, "I'm still not sure if I'll be able to get down to Matsuyama in a few weeks. This new case is killing me. If I don't get JS-712 into our custody before then, I'm not going _anywhere_ for my birthday. But he already knows that the situation is really iffy."

"Well, you won't have to make that judgment call until a few days before your birthday," Kanami encouraged hopefully.

"Is it sad that it's only been a month, but I feel like it's been forever?" Misaki asked wistfully.

"Don't you talk to him almost every day?" Mao countered.

"That's exactly why it's pitiful," Misaki said making her point.

Mao sniffed, "You emotional beings are all the same."

O.o ^_^ o.O ^_^ O.o ^_^ o.O

"I'm sorry Li, this case is far from closed. We've been so close twice already, but the perpetrator manages to evade us just in the nick of time. I'm having flashbacks of some of your great escapes, let me tell you!" Misaki didn't bother to hide her frustrations from her sapphire-eyed contractor on the other end of the line.

"_Well, if anything changes, let me know. I have a present that I'd rather not wait till New Year's to give you."_

"But there's only four days left…Maybe I can take a birthday rain check, and come down when everything's said and done."

"_I'm fine with that. Things are looking good down here, by the way. Things on my end with the business should be settled by the end of the year."_

"So we _will_ ring in the New Year together," Misaki confirmed with a sigh of relief.

"_It's a date."_ Li chuckled softly. _"Good luck with the case, Misaki. I wish I were there to help."_

"Hah! I could just imagine the ass-kicking they'd get. You _are_ the best, you know."

"_You're pretty vicious yourself, when you want to be. Don't ever forget it."_

"Thank you for that," she said, a smile plastered onto her face.

"_Anytime…Goodnight."_

The other end went silent and she sighed. _I'll have to teach JS-712 not to screw with my birthday plans._ Misaki couldn't help but laugh aloud at her own thoughts. But Hei's pep-talk had definitely helped her resolve.

O.o ^_^ o.O ^_^ O.o ^_^ o.O

The next few days went by uneventfully, Misaki spent them following a few leads, but nothing had turned up. She came home in the early evening, knowing that Kanami wanted to take her out for the night. It was her thirtieth birthday after all, and a Friday night. It was already getting dark as she cracked a bottle of her favorite plum wine and began sorting through the dresses in her closet. She hadn't even had time to think about wardrobe, and everything new she owned was for warmer weather. It was the first week of October and the autumn chill settled in the air after sunset.

Misaki found a dress from years ago, that she had worn to the PSB annual gala. She wondered if it still fit. She was pleasantly surprised when the little black cap-sleeved dress with a crimson sash-like belt still fit like it had so long ago. She smiled and took it off to take a shower.

Another half an hour or more later, she was putting the finishing touches on her hair and makeup when her phone rang. She was expecting it to be Kanami, but it was Li.

_He's probably on break,_ she assumed.

Misaki hit the green button and didn't even wait for a 'Hello'. "Hey there! I was hoping to hear from you today!" she said cheerily. "I was beginning to think you had forgotten."

"_Hah. You know me better than that."_

"You're right I do. So, what, are you on break right now?"

"_Yeah, I've been swamped all afternoon. And I refuse to wish you a Happy Birthday in a text," Hei explained._

"Well, thank you, koibito. It's been a long day. I'm just getting ready to go out with Kanami. She should be here in twenty minutes or so."

"_I see. So, I sent you your present yesterday. Have you gotten it, yet?"_

"Oh! I didn't check the mail. I'll go check in a few minutes."

"_Alright, call me when you get it. Have fun tonight."_

"Thanks. I will. Jaa…"

She ended the call to put on her lipstick and matching red heels. With one last look in the mirror, knowing Kanami would approve, Misaki decided to go see if Li's gift had arrived.

As she opened her front door, she nearly stumbled over two black suitcases, one larger and one smaller, with a big red ribbon tied to them like a present.

"What the he-"

"I should have bought you a new telescope for your birthday," said a familiar dark voice from behind her. "You need to upgrade."

Misaki spun around to be greeted by the man in the white mask, her man: The Black Reaper, standing in the open balcony door across the room. Her smile grew brighter as she approached her lover. Though overwhelmed by the pleasant surprise, Misaki knew exactly what she had to do next. She reached up to his face and gently removed the mask, revealing an impish grin.

"Happy Birthday, Misaki," he reached out and touched her cheek. "I'm here…to _stay_."

Those warm amber eyes grew wide as it dawned on her. His arms snaked around her waist, pulling her into him as her arm's wrapped around the back of his neck. Like they had been long-parched with thirst, the lovers drank of each other's lips. It was a long moment before Misaki released his lips to look into his face, as if to be sure it wasn't all a dream.

"But I thought you…"

"Weren't coming until December? Surprise!" he said, gesturing with a sheepish shrug. Suddenly his expression softened and his eyes glinted with yearning. "I couldn't wait any longer."

The dark and handsome contractor ran his hands slowly up and down her back. "I came to this conclusion the day you got on that plane…"

He ceased his motion to catch her stunned gaze with his blue eyes, as if trying somehow to reach into her soul. "I love you, Misaki."

Misaki's heart stopped and her breath caught at his declaration. The look in his eyes told her there was more he needed to say. "The last two months made me realize how much I need you by my side." Hei's lips came to rest gently upon her forehead, and were soon exchanged for his own forehead so that they were nose to nose. "We have too much to live for…To fight for…_together."_

Misaki's jaw had gone slightly slack as she fought to find words just as eloquent to respond with. Where her mind had failed, her heart took over.

"I love you, too, Li." She paused to process how those words felt rolling off her tongue. "Until two months ago, I was sure that you…_here_…would only ever be a dream. But this…this is really happening, isn't it?"

He confirmed with a hum as he tightened his embrace once more and kissed her slowly and deeply. Their lips separated with a soft, moist pop. He smiled at her and released his arms from her waist to take off his long black coat, revealing he was dressed and ready to go out in a black and grey suit.

"Don't even tell me! You've had this planned the whole time, and Kanami knew?"

Hei merely raised a brow at her, neither confirming nor denying anything. Misaki laughed as her phone beeped. Hei pulled the luggage inside while she read the message with a smile. Kanami had arrived and she was downstairs.

"Perfect timing," she declared with a smirk. Misaki grabbed her purse as Hei extended his arm and took her in his stride.

"Always," he replied. He smiled down at his beautiful companion and shut the door behind them.

"Now, let's go celebrate."

**FIN**

O.o ^_^ o.O ^_^ O.o ^_^ o.O

* * *

><p><strong>PS... If you didn't already know... There's a sequel I'm already working on. There's entirely too much more to be told, and the plot bunnies are getting antsy.<strong>

**See you soon!**


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